Say Something I'm Giving Up on You
by LandraWolf
Summary: Judy has been having nightmares. Nightmares about Nick going beyond savage. As their 'friendship' is growing, some odd things start happening to Nick. He seems to be acting different. But these things only add up to one thing: Judy's nightmares are coming true. As Nick's last days are getting nearer, Judy realizes how much she really cares about her partner, Nick Wilde...
1. Nightmares

**Hey guys! This is my new fan fiction. I just watched this movie and it's definitely on my top lists of my favorite movies! I LOVE this movie. I totally ship Nick and Judy. I would love to see a relationship between a Bunny and a fox. ;)**

 **Please review**

 **1**

 _Nightmares_

It was Monday morning. Judy Hopps opened her eyes as sunlight flooded through her window. She smiled and moaned, her eyes just opening up. _What a bright, beautiful morning,_ she thought. She sat up in her bed, stretching her arms out wide and letting out a loud yawn. While in the middle of her morning yawn, she used a free paw and brushed back her ears. They popped back up immediately, but it was just a morning habit of hers. She couldn't help it.

Wait, was it a bright morning? _Oh-no,_ Judy thought in horror. She moaned out loud and shot a glance at her clock.9:45 am! She was sooooo late for work! Judy hopped out of bed (literally) and zoomed through her tiny room, grabbing her freshly ironed police uniform off of the table in her room. She slipped her shirt over her head and slid her pants on over her legs. She grabbed her hat and darted out of her apartment.

Judy raced down the streets of Zootopia, avoiding cars and buses. She was quick on her feet, partly just because she was a bunny, but also because she was so late for work. She sure hoped that Chief Bogo wouldn't fire her. Well, of course he wouldn't, but thoughts like that made Judy panic and run faster.

Once Judy ran into the ZPD police building, she ran up to Clawhauser's counter and panted.

"Judy!" the cheetah exclaimed. "You're…"

"Late! I know," Judy panted, resting one of her paws on Clawhauser's desk counter. "Phew! I'm so wiped out."

"You better get to work," Clawhauser said. "Chief Bogo will…"

"I know, I know," Judy sighed. "He's probably going to kill me. I don't know what got into me today. I've never woken up late before."

"I understand," Clawhauser responded. "You better go."

"Yeah, thanks," Judy smiled. She jogged off down the hallways and opened up a door. She quietly shut the door behind her and pulled herself up on her chair. She sighed and moaned, angry with herself for waking up so late.

 _Oh well,_ Judy thought to herself. _I better start organizing those papers double time._

"Carrots?"

Nick Wilde, Judy's partner, walked into the room, holding a stack of papers.

"Carrots, are you okay? You're-"

"Don't. Say. It," Judy growled, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Whoa, somebody has caught the grumpy wumpies," Nick chuckled to himself. Judy moaned, obviously annoyed with her partner. "Carrots, you know that I'm just kidding, right?"

"Just shut your muzzle," Judy hissed.

"Whoa!" Nick barked, throwing his hands up defensively. "I'm sorry. I must be a huge burden, huh?"

Judy rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile. "Okay, you sly fox," Judy chuckled. "Let's get to work."

Judy and Nick began to sort out files and papers and put certain papers in folders. This was their job when they weren't searching out criminals. Those days were their glory days. They had most of their fun on their criminal chases.

"Seriously, Judy," Nick said (and you could tell that he was serious if he used her real name.) "What's in you today? Why did you wake up late?"

"I don't know," Judy said. "I really don't. I was just up a little later last night, looking at some criminal records—for fun, you know. But I've stayed up way later than that before on work nights. I don't know why I woke up so late this morning. It's not like me to wake up so late."

"Maybe you accidently turned off your alarm clock," Nick shrugged. Judy stopped to think about that for a second.

"Yeah, but that's happened to me plenty of times before and I just always wake up at the normal time even without my alarm," Judy replied. She shrugged. "I really don't know. It must have been nothing."

"Okay, Carrots."

Judy smirked and rolled her eyes. She continued her work with Nick. An idea popped into her head and she grabbed her iPod out of her pocket and placed the earbuds in her ears.

"Carrots?" Nick said. " _Carrots?_ CARROTS!"

Judy quickly pulled out her earbuds and shot her head around to look at Nick.

"What? What is it? Are we called to go on another mission? Are we-"

Nick shook his head, raising his paw to cut Judy off. "It's nothing, Carrots. I was just trying to catch your attention, that's all. You little bunnies really drift off into your own worlds, don't you?"

A smirk spread across the fox's face. Judy looked at him, offensively. "No we don't!" she snorted. "I was just listening to my music."

"Sure, Carrots."

"You don't believe me? Well, look! Here's my iPod…"

"I never doubted you," Nick said. "I just said sure."

"Sarcastically," Judy muttered. _Something is up with this bunny's attitude today,_ Nick thought.

"Hey, do you want to go to lunch with me during our lunch break?" Nick asked. Judy looked up at him.

"You won't bother me anymore, will you?" she asked, wiggling her nose. _Is she on the bridge of tears_? Nick cocked his head. _Wow, this is not like Judy._

"Of course not," Nick gave her a smile. _First she wakes up late, next she's moody, and now she's sensitive? What's next?_

"Where to?" Judy asked.

"Maybe just to the pizza parlor," Nick said. Judy gave a disgusted face.

"No thank you," she snorted. "You can go there alone. I'm not going."

"Hey, we can go somewhere else if that's what you want," Nick replied. "Tell me where you want to go."

"I want to get hamburgers," Judy replied.

"You? Hamburgers?" Nick asked, showing a little too much shock in his voice.

"Yes, I can have hamburgers if I want!" Judy snapped. Nick's eyes widened. Did Judy really just snap at him over her wanting hamburgers?

"Okay, hamburgers it is," Nick announced. "Now we really should be getting back to work."

"Or at least _you_ should," Judy muttered. "I've been doing my work. You? You've been talking about food."

Nick sighed, bothered by the mystery of the bunny's attitude. He grabbed another stack of papers and began to sort them out into different folders.

 _Why am I being such a jerk?_ Judy asked herself, realizing how snappy she was towards her partner. Suddenly, she remembered something. This something could be the reason why she slept in late. It was her nightmare. Her nightmare about Nick. She and Nick were back in the pit in the old museum and Nick seemed to go savage, but only it wasn't the Night Howl kind of savage. He went savage like he couldn't control himself at all. It seemed as if there was no way of fighting it and as if he lost his entire memory. He looked sickly in her nightmare. His eyes were red and his mouth was foaming. He ran to attack Judy, chasing her around in the pit. Judy was stuck, tripping over fake logs. Just like in their act, Nick dived to grab Judy's throat, but only this time, it wasn't an act. Right as Nick struck, Judy had woken up.

Remembering this nightmare, Judy shivered. Nick noticed her sitting still. He looked at her, waiting to see if she'd move.

"Hey, Carrots? Are you alright?" he wondered. Awaking from her daze, Judy smiled.

"Uh, um…Yeah. I'm fine. I just dazed out for a moment there," Judy stuttered.

"And you're the one telling me to work," Nick mumbled.

Judy laughed nervously. "Hahaha, yeah…"

Nick looked at her, suspiciously. Usually she would roll her eyes or just set a small, annoyed smile on her face if he said something like that.

"Are you sure that you're alright? You don't really seem yourself today, Judy," Nick said. "Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine, really," Judy squeaked. "I'm just probably a little off because I woke up late. I'll be back to my old self before you know it."

"Okay…" Nick said, sounding a bit unsure. But Judy was probably right. She would be back to her old self in not time.

#####################################################

"…and then Jack fell on his snout, daring not to cry in front of us. He ran off and we never heard from him again," Nick said. "Well, that is, for a week. Jack could never be alone."

They were at lunch eating hamburgers and fries. Judy giggled. "Funny story, Nick," she said. "Poor little Jack."

"Oh, he's not little anymore," Nick replied. "He's probably bigger than me."

"Oh, I see," Judy smirked. "Maybe he can replace you. I need a big, ripped guy."

"Oh, am I not big enough?" Nick raised his eyebrows.

"Well…You could work out some more," Judy joked. Nick chuckled.

"Well then, I'll start tonight," Nick said. Judy looked at Nick and suddenly drifted back into her nightmare memories. She remembered when Nick's eyes turned so cold and different; the foamy saliva sliding out onto his lips.

"You'll do what tonight?" Judy asked, returning back to the present.

Nick looked at her, unsure. "I said that I would start working out tonight. You know, to continue the joke?"

"Oh, yeah," Judy smiled. "But I still don't think you'll get as muscular as your cousin Jack."

Nick smirked. "Oh, is that so? Now I will legit start to work out at gyms every free chance I get," he said.

"Hmm…" Judy grunted, putting on her thinking face. "If you really will do that, I guess that I'll have to help you. I'll make you some nice dinner after you work out."

"As long as blueberries will be a side dish."

"Deal."

Judy finished up her hamburger and fries. Nick waited patiently for her to eat her lunch. He finished his minutes ago.

"You bunnies are slow eaters," Nick chuckled. Judy got moody again and shot a look at her partner.

"No we're not," she sniffed. "Just because we aren't like you sly, quick foxes doesn't mean-"

Nick cut her off. "Hey, Moody Judy. I was just kidding. Chill."

Judy's nose began to twitch. She was not in the mood for anything, especially teasing. She did NOT want to be called Moody Judy by Nick. Her sensitive side took over her as she tried to fight back unnecessary tears that were trying to slide out of her eyes. Her nose twitched wildly; she couldn't control it.

"Judy, are you okay?" Nick asked, his voice soft and concerned. She definitely was about to cry. Nick hadn't ever seen her cry much. Probably about 2 times before, but he could tell that she definitely was about to break down.

"I-I…I'm oooookay," Judy gasped, gulping down her tears. _Why am I so sensitive?_ Judy asked herself. _This is Nick who I'm with. It's normal for him to act like this and tease me. This is how we act together._

Nick saw how hard Judy was trying to hold back her tears.

"Is it something that I said?" Nick whispered in her ear. Judy's ears began to droop down and flattened against the back of her head.

"N-noooooo," Judy whimpered, her voice shaky. She finally couldn't hold it in any longer. Her tears slowly dripped out of her eyes. She didn't want to cry in front of Nick. She wiped her tears with the back of her paw, but the tears kept spilling out.

"It's okay, it's okay," Nick said. He pulled Judy into him as she cried into his chest. "You bunnies. So emotional."

That was the last thing Judy wanted to hear her partner say. She pulled away and turned her back to Nick. _What did I do this time?_ Nick asked himself, irritated. He put his paw on Judy's shoulder, but she hit it off. Her sniffling grew louder. She felt embarrassed crying in public, but there was nothing that she could do to stop that.

"Judy?" Nick asked. "Judy, are you really okay?"

"No," Judy sobbed. Nick put his paw on her shoulder again. This time she didn't bother to brush it off. It was comforting knowing that he was there and that he cared.

"I don't feel very well," Judy sighed, turning around to face Nick. Her eyes were big and watery. Nick thought that it was kind of cute. Her thought that she looked super cute when she cried.

Judy wiped her tears again. "Can you maybe walk me home?" her nose began to twitch more.

"Sure I can," Nick said, softly. He held out his paw for Judy to take. When she took it, he helped her out of her booth and walked her to the front of the restaurant. He paid their bill up at front and walked out of the hamburger place. Once they were on the streets, Judy pulled her hand away from Nick's. She looked up at him and smiled. Nick smiled down back at her. Judy thought that she saw some kind of sparkle in that smile. She turned her head away and blushed.

Nick walked her all of the way up to her room. He looked down at her as she stood in her doorway.

"Thank you, Nick," she said. "I just don't know how Bogo will react when he knows that I'm home so early. Maybe I should call him."

"Don't worry about it," Nick replied. "I'll take care of it. Just don't wake up late tomorrow."

Judy smirked. "I think that you'll be the one to wake up late tomorrow."

"We'll see about that," Nick chuckled. He sighed and looked at Judy. "Judy, I want you to know that if anything is bothering you, then you can tell me. I'm all open."

"Thanks, Nick," Judy said. "You mean so much to me."

"I know I do," he winked. "Well, see you, Carrots."

"See you, Nicky."

Nick turned around.

"What did you just call me?" he asked.

"Nothing," Judy mumbled. As Nick walked away, she thought that she saw some kind of coldness in his eyes, but it must have been her imagination.

 **I hope that you guys like this! I'm really starting to get on a roll with this story cuz I'm TOTALLY obsessing over this movie. I'm having lots of fun typing these chapters NON STOP (Almost) so sorry if it takes me a while to update my other stories in the future.**


	2. Jaws

**Here is your chapter 2! Enjoy!**

 **2**

 _Jaws_

Nick walked home late that night all alone in the dark. Usually he and Judy walked home together, but Nick had walked her home earlier. He sure hoped that Judy was feeling better than she did earlier in the day. Something definitely was up with that bunny.

Nick sighed and walked on the dark sidewalk. Of course the city was bright, loud, and active, but it was also dark on Nick's sidewalk. He was bored without his partner walking beside him. Judy usually was good about keeping him company, but she wasn't there right that moment.

Nick's ears perk forwards as he heard something unusual going on in an alley. He creeped up to it and sniffed quietly, only sensing the foul stench of criminals. He crouched down as he investigated the scene: a burly bear picking on an arctic fox. Nick cocked his head, curiously. He hadn't seen many arctic foxes in the heart of Zootopia. Usually they were in the snow district.

"Give me all you got and you're free from your side of the deal," the bear grunted. "No more working for him and no more taking orders from anybody."

"I earned this money fair and square. Nobody is going to take this from me," the fox said. It sounded like a vixen. Nick got even more curious. This was looking like a good case so far…

"Just hand over the money and you're free for forever," the bear said.

"Ha, nobody is free forever," the vixen snorted. "I rather keep the money and keep working for him."

"Alright, it's time to do this the hard way," the bear growled. He walked towards the vixen, his paws balled into fists. _This is my chance!_ Nick thought. He grabbed his gun from his police belt and made himself visible.

"You better take some steps back, mister," Nick snarled. "Leave this lady alone."

The bear saw the gun pointed at him. Reluctantly, he back off, scowling. He squeezed his fists tighter, obviously angry that he had gotten caught.

"Why were you trying to take her money?" Nick questioned.

"We had a deal. She promised. She promised!" the bear roared. He took a step towards the vixen. Nick loaded his gun, and when the bear heard the cracking sound, he took some more steps back.

"You had no right to be doing this," Nick said. He walked forwards with his gun still pointed at the bear and snapped some handcuffs (or in this case, paw-cuffs) over the bear's wrists. He grabbed out his walkie-talkie and spoke into it.

"I need backup," Nick spoke. "I just arrested some guy who tried to take a young vixen's money. I have him under arrest, but I need someone to come and take him away."

" _Good job, Officer Nick,"_ Chief Bogo said. _"I will send backup right away."_

Nick smirked at the bear who was growling.

"May this teach you a lesson to leave young vixens alone," Nick snarled. The vixen blushed as Nick winked at her. The bear rolled his eyes, still angry.

The backup came quickly. Two officers ran up and grabbed the bear and walked him towards the car. As the bear passed the vixen, he whispered in her ear, "You won't get away with this."

She smirked and whispered back. "Oh, but I already have."

Then the bear was taken away.

Nick cleared his throat. The vixen looked at him.

"Thank you, Officer…"

"Nick Wilde," he said. "I'm Officer Nick Wilde."

The vixen shook his paw. "I'm Alay Flake," she said. Nick smiled widely.

"Pleased to meet you, Ms. Alay," Nick said. "I'm so glad that I caught that bear in time."

"I am too," Alay said. "Thank you for saving me."

"No problem," Nick replied. "Would you like me to walk you home?"

"No, I'm fine," Alay smiled. "I think that bad guys will leave me alone for the night."

Nick nodded. "Before you go, Alay," he barked. "May I wonder who you were working for?"

"My boss, that's all," the vixen replied. "He's quite an unfair boss and that bear is my co-worker. He doesn't like me at all and they've both been trying to get rid of me for forever. That's all. No need to be suspicious."

"Where do you work?" Nick questioned.

"I work for a company called _Back Farms,_ " Alay responded. "We sell things to different companies. I've been quite sly and so called _cheated_ on my boss before. I let some people go a little easy with less money before. My boss doesn't like that."

"Thank you for telling me," Nick smiled. "I hope that you return home safely. Just keep out of alleys."

"If you insist," Alay said. She shook paws with Nick again. "I hope to see you around, Officer Nick."

"I have no doubt that you will," Nick said. "See you, Ms. Alay."

With that, the two went their separate ways.

#############################################################################

Like Judy predicted, Nick did wake up late the next morning. He was up all night, worrying about the young arctic fox. It wasn't that he was in love with her or anything, but she was a fox and he thought that she was lying about her job. Foxes are cunning like that. However, she did a good job by making her job sound less suspicious.

At least Nick didn't wake up too late. He was still asleep when Judy came to knock on his door the next morning. They always walked to work together in the mornings and also walked back home together in the evenings. Nick realized how much he loved spending time with Judy, his best friend.

Nick heard knocking on his door. He sat up in bed quickly. He rubbed his eyes, yawned, and then looked at his clock. 7:30! Judy was expecting him to be ready by now! He wasn't even the least bit ready. He just woke up from her knocking.

"Nick? Are you ready?" Nick heard Judy's voice on the other side of his door. He panicked and searched for his officer uniform. He found it on the ground all wrinkled up. Judy would throw a fit about how untidy he kept his uniform and his fur. His fur! He needed to comb it quickly.

"Nick Wilde, I hear you in there. Answer your door before I come barging in!"

Nick ran into his bathroom and searched for his comb. He found it in his shower. He dived for it and grabbed it in his paw. He trotted up to his mirror and began to comb the fur on his face.

Nick ran out of the bathroom and answered his door. Judy was standing there with a scowl on her face. She was thumping her foot loudly. Obviously she was upset.

"What took you so long, mister?" she snapped.

"Sorry," Nick sighed. "You were right. It's my turn to wake up late."

Judy gave a half smile. "Well, at least you weren't as late as I was. Come on, let's go."

Nick followed Judy out the door. They walked down the streets of Zootopia. Judy was energetic like a bunny should be. She raced down the sidewalk. Nick tried to keep up with the quick bunny, but he gave up. She was just too quick for him.

Once they entered the ZPD building, Judy raced into Nick's and hers office. She climbed up onto her chair and began to search through the papers they were working with.

"Whoa, what's the big rush?" Nick asked. "You can't finish work as quickly as you think."

"Nick, I heard about what happened last night," Judy said. "One of the officers called me up and told me about it. I was to see if maybe they gave me the bear's criminal records or something."

"We just captured him," Nick responded. "I don't think that they'd have his records quite yet."

"Well, at least I want to see if they gave us his personal records," Judy said.

"They're probably going to get it today," Nick told her. "Just calm down. Everything is taken care of. The vixen is okay and…"

"Vixen?" Judy's ears shot forwards, curiously. "You found a vixen?"

"Well, she just happened to be the bear's victim. Don't go asking me about her just because she's a fox…"

"Nick, you know that it doesn't bother me, right? You can love whoever you want-"

"Judy, I hardly know her."

"But still. I mean, you're a fox and she's a fox…"

"For the last time, Judy! She was just A VICTIM!" Nick snapped. He snapped pretty loudly. Judy sat in shock. She didn't realize it, but she was shaking. Nick's eyes seemed to change colder for a second there, but it went away quickly. He sighed.

"Sorry, Judy," Nick said. "I didn't mean to yell at you like that."

"I-it's okay," Judy said, managing a smile. Man, Nick sure did scare her. Bunnies did get really nervous, but Judy never ever got this nervous around Nick. Maybe he was in a bad mood like she was yesterday. Now it was her turn to suffer his bad mood like Nick had to do yesterday with her.

"Nick?" Judy asked.

"Hmm?" Nick asked, not looking up at her. He was searching through papers and marking them.

"D-do you want to go out to lunch again?" Judy asked, trying to get him to look at her.

"Um, sure. I would like that," Nick said. He finally looked up and gave her a smile. "You won't bother me, will you?"

Judy giggled and punched him playfully in the arm. "Of course not," she said, mocking him. Nick grinned and returned back to his work. Judy decided that it was best if she did too.

##############################################################################

Judy and Nick were finishing up lunch at the pizza parlor. Nick chose to go there since Judy got to pick where they went yesterday. They ordered a small pizza and spilt it (even though Judy didn't eat very much of her 4 slices.)

"What did the vixen look like?" Judy asked. Nick sighed.

"Will you ever stop talking about her?" Nick replied. "I mean, come on. She was just a victim who I had to rescue."

"I bet to her that you were her knight in shining armor," Judy said. Nick shook his head, sighing.

"Judy, what has gotten into you? Why are you now all obsessed with the love life that I don't have?"

Judy smiled. "I just maybe want to help you out. If you need anything, I'll be here for you."

Nick gave her a small smile. "Okay. If I do happen to fall in love at some point, I will definitely come to you for advice."

"Good," Judy sniffed. "Then that's settled."

The pizza parlor door swung open. Nick and Judy turned around (curiously) to see who it was. It was no other than the vixen, Alay. She was wearing a pink polo shirt, khaki shorts, and some light shades. Judy looked back at Nick and gave him a smirk. Nick did a mental face palm.

"Well, if it isn't Ms. Alay," Nick said. Alay looked over at him and saw a smooth smile spread across his face.

"Hello, Officer Nick," Alay smiled. "I see that you're here with our famous Officer Judy Hopps."

"Oh, it's no big deal," Judy said, humbly. "I was just doing my job."

"By saving the whole city!" Alay exclaimed, the smile still on her face. "I'm Alay Flake."

"Hello, Alay Flake," Judy said. They shook paws. "I understand that Mr. Nick Wilde saved you last night."

"Oh yes, he did," Alay replied. "He's quite the gentleman."

"Ladies," Nick said. "There's no need to gossip about me in front of my face."

Nick flipped some shades over his eyes. Judy tried to hold in her giggles. Nick always made her laugh in the worst possible places. Or in this case, the worst possible _cases._

"Well, it was nice seeing you Ms. Alay, but Judy and I have got to be going," Nick said. He helped Judy out of her booth. Alay leaned over and whispered in his ear, "He _is_ a gentleman."

Nick saw Judy giggle. "Are you girls complementing me behind my back?" Nick asked, a playful grin on his face.

"Come on, Nick," Judy said, grabbing his paw. Nick gave Alay a gun-hand and winked. Alay chuckled as Nick walked off with Judy.

Judy hardly noticed that she was holding her partners paw. Honestly, she didn't mean to do it. They were just walking down the streets of Zootopia when she looked up at Nick who was giving her a little smile. That smile was telling her that she was doing something unusual. She looked at their paws and let out a little "Oh" and pulled her paw away. She blushed and walked on with Nick by her side. She didn't dare to look up and see Nick's expression. Did he feel uncomfortable holding her paw? Judy sure didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable. If he was uncomfortable doing that with his friend, how would he ever find himself a girl of his own? Couples always held hands. It was so cute…

"Carrots, you're going off into your own little world again," Nick chuckled. Judy shook her head, awakening from her deep thoughts.

"Sorry," she said. "I was just thinking."

"About what?" Nick wondered.

"Someone," Judy replied.

"Who is this someone?"

Ignoring Nick's comment, Judy asked, "Why did you want to leave the pizza parlor so quickly?"

"Well, we were done with lunch," Nick answered.

"We still could've talked. When Alay came in, you really just wanted to leave," Judy said.

"No I did-"

"Nick," Judy said, harshly. "I know you. You can trust me. Why did you want to leave when she came?"

Nick sighed. "I don't feel comfortable around her," he said. "She seemed to be lying about her job. She and the bear apparently work together and the bear was trying to take her money. Apparently their boss has them under his—or her—control. Alay told me about her job, but she seemed to be lying, especially with the talk that her and the bear had. It made it seem like their boss was a criminal. He/she might possible be."

"I'm glad you told me, Nick," Judy said. "You're a great cop, you know that?"

Nick shrugged. "Well, some bunny has told me that before. Is it true?"

"Have you ever considered that I may be that bunny?" Judy giggled.

"Nah. I don't think so. It was some other bunny cop who was _way_ cuter than you," Nick joked, scratching Judy behind the ears.

"Hey, don't do that!" Judy whined. But she had to admit, it did feel good. They continued to walk down the sidewalk in the bright afternoon. They walked in a little silence until Nick's walkie-talkie went on. Nick picked it up and spoke into it.

"Officer Nick Wilde here," he said, quite chill. "What's up?"

" _It's the bear. He's going nuts!"_ an officer exclaimed. _"He's going savage!"_

Nick nearly dropped his walkie-talkie. _"We need you in the jail house, Officer Nick,"_ the officer said.

"M-me?" Nick stuttered. "But I…"

" _Officer Wilde, we really need you,"_ the officer pleaded.

"I'm on my way," Nick said. He put his walkie-talkie back in its case. "The bear criminal is going crazy," he explained to Judy.

"I heard," she said.

"I have to run," Nick said.

"I'm coming with you," Judy said, grimly.

Nick shook his head. "No, you can't. They called me for this job, not you."

Judy looked him in the eye. Nick gave her a smile. He was about to dart off, but Judy grabbed his arm. Nick looked down at her.

"Be careful," she said.

"I will be, Carrots," Nick promised. He ran off down the streets, heading straight for the jail house.

 **I hope that you guys like this so far. In just 1 night, I've gotten 31 followers! WOW! I'm so happy, so I MUST continue this story. I'm really on a roll here, guys. I love this story too. (Not meaning to brag.)**

 **I love reviews, so if you can leave a review, that'd be SO awesome! Thanks you guys!**


	3. Life Scars

**3**

 _Life Scars_

Nick raced into the jail house. He ran up to the head desk and saw Officer Emma sitting there, looking over some reports.

"Officer Nick!" she exclaimed. "Thank goodness you're here!"

Nick began to pant heavily. It took nearly all of his energy to run all of the way here. He held up his paw, telling Officer Emma to give him a second to catch his breath.

"They need me," Nick explained. "You probably know that."

"Yes," Emma said. "Go back there, and quickly. They really need you."

Nick knew all of that. He also knew that he would have to suffer. They probably needed him to calm the bear down. Since it was his case, he had to take care of things. That was probably their excuse since they didn't want to get hurt.

Nick raced into the back of the building where the prisons were held. He looked around at the criminals. Some of them were playing cards, others were sleeping. They didn't _look_ dangerous to Nick, but he had to remind himself that he helped capture some of them. He remembered how dangerous they could be.

Some officers were standing around the bear's cell. Chief Bogo was there with them, looking nervously at the bear. Whenever he came closer to the bars, the officers stepped backwards.

"Nick better get here soon," a female officer said. "This is his mission, so we'll let him fix it."

"I agree," another officer said. "I don't want to go in there and get hurt. I have nothing to do with this criminal. Nick was the one who arrested him. Let him deal with this."

Nick snorted. _Cowards,_ he thought. Then he walked up to the Officers and acted like he didn't hear what they said.

"What seems to be the problem?" Nick asked. He had to admit, he was a little nervous himself.

"The bear—whose name is Jaws, by the way—has suddenly gone wild. He's gone savage," a wolf officer barked. "But how could he have gone savage? There are no more Night Howler attacks."

"I don't know," Nick replied. "What do you need me for?"

Chief Bogo looked at him, nervously. "Nick, we need you to go stab this shot into him," Bogo answered. "It's a tranquilizer shot."

"What about a tranquilizer gun?" Nick wondered.

"We don't have any at the moment," the wolf officer explained. "But we need you to hurry. Just rush in there and stab that shot into him. He should calm down within seconds."

Nick nodded, grimly. He had to be brave. This was his job and he wanted to prove that he could definitely do it, unlike the other cowards.

"Here's the shot," some other officer said. She put it in his paws and patted them. "Be safe."

"Yeah," Nick said, trying not to gulp nervously. On the inside, he was downright terrified. He didn't want to get hurt by this savage bear.

Chief Bogo opened up the prison door. Nick slipped through it quickly. Bogo slammed it closed behind him quickly so that Jaws couldn't escape. Nick quietly and carefully walked towards Jaws. If he could just pierce the shot through him before he turned around…

Jaws made his move. He jumped out towards Nick with his arms wide open. Nick dropped to the ground and rolled out from underneath Jaws. _Hey, that was a pretty cool move,_ Nick thought, feeling pretty good about himself. But it wasn't before too long when Jaws ran for Nick again. Nick ran out of the way, but Jaws was too smart for that. Jaws stayed on Nick's tail as Nick panicked and tried to escape from his clutches. _Use the shot, dumb fox!_ Nick snapped to himself. He whipped around to pierce the shot through Jaws, but Jaws turned his body away too quickly. As he turned around, Nick got up to his feet, but Jaws was already facing towards him. He slowly stalked the frightened fox as he backed up slowly.

Nick chuckled nervously. "Hehehe…Nice…Bear?"

Jaws roared ferociously. Nick yelped out loud as he felt claws scratch across his face. The scratches stung terribly. Nick pressed his paw on the scratches, hoping that the pain would disappear. It didn't. It just hurt worse when he put his paw on his injury.

Jaws cornered Nick against a wall. There was nothing that Nick would do now. He could stab the shot into Jaws, but he couldn't do it without getting hurt. And Nick was right. As Nick stabbed the shot into the bear, he felt Jaws snap his fangs into his throat. Nick yelped and gasped for air. He struggled and squirmed, trying to breathe, but it was impossible with Jaw's jaws over his throat.

Nick lost his breath for only about 10 seconds before the pressure was released and Jaws was on the ground, unconscious. Nick panted heavily, shaking like crazy. That was one of the scariest things that he had done in his life. It if wasn't for the shot, he would have been dead right then. Nick wiped his paw against his throat. He looked at his paw and saw dark red blood splattered on his paw pads. He panicked a bit, but he knew that he could just get cleaned and he'd be fine.

"Officer Nick!" the female officer (who was a raccoon) exclaimed, running into the prison cell. She knelt down by Nick's side who was leaned up against the wall.

"Don't break a sweat," Nick panted. "Once I'm cleaned up, I'll be fine."

Chief Bogo walked into the cell and helped Nick up. Nick brushed his uniform, trying to get off dust and dirt from the dirty cell's ground. Then it suddenly felt like his whole entire world was dancing. He almost fell back over, but Chief Bogo helped him keep his balance. Boy, was Nick dizzy and exhausted after that attack.

"Thanks, Chief," Nick said.

"That was awfully brave of you, Nick," Bogo said.

"Awfully brave of me?" Nick growled, irritated. "You forced me to go into there! I had no choice but to listen."

Ignoring Nick's angry comment, Chief Bogo said, "We should get you cleaned up."

"Yeah, we should," Nick snorted, still a little angry. "But I'll live."

"You're probably going to need stitches," the wolf officer barked. Nick froze. _Stitches? No, no, no, no! I don't want stitches!_

"It's no big deal," Nick gulped. "I'm not that hurt. I don't need stitches."

"Officer Nick," Bogo sighed, clearing his throat. "You will definitely need stitches for those deep gashes."

Nick growled. _Do I need to have a whole load of pain today?_

"Okay," Nick sighed. He followed the other officers out of the cell. They locked it up, looking at the unconscious Jaws. Bogo snorted at him.

"I'm going to call the hospital and have them take him away to see what's wrong with him," Bogo snorted. "This isn't a Night Howlers case, but it must be something similar."

Nick nodded. "That's probably best."

"Come on, Officer Nick," the raccoon officer said. "Let's take you to the nearest doctor."

Nick sighed, but he reluctantly followed her out of the jail house.

##############################################################################

Judy was sitting down, doing her police work. She was missing Nick a lot. She never thought that she'd miss Nick this much. Did Nick feel this way when she went home early yesterday? _No, probably not,_ she told herself.

Suddenly, Officer Tod raced into her office. "Judy Hopps!"

Judy looked up from her work.

"What is it?" she asked excitedly.

"It's Nick," Officer Tod said. "He's been attacked."

Judy felt like her heart just stopped. She panicked. _How bad is he hurt?_

"He's at the doctor's office right now getting stitches," Tod explained. "His injuries aren't as bad as you think, but I think that he's faking being strong. He's trying to make his injuries feel as if they're nothing, but I think that he's suffering a lot."

Judy hopped off of her seat. She ran down the hallway, shouting behind her, "Thank you, Officer Tod!"

"You're welcome…?" Tod cocked his dog head. He watched as Judy zoomed out of sight.

##############################################################################

Judy trotted into the Doctor's office. She walked up to the front counter where a cat was sitting. She was talking on the phone for quite a while before she could speak to Judy.

"Hello, Officer," the cat greeted. "How may I help you?"

"I'm Miss Judy Hopps and I'm here to see a patient. Officer Nick Wilde is his name," Judy explained. The cat nodded.

"Officer Nick Wilde…Mr. Wilde…Hmm…" she looked at her computer. "I'm sorry miss, but you can't go in there to see him right now."

"But…but why not?" Judy asked, a little upset. "Nick Wilde is my friend. I was sent here to see him."

"I'm sorry, but he's in the middle of getting stitches right now," the cat replied. "Nobody can be in there except for the doctor and the nurse."

Judy tapped her foot, upset. She stared at the cat.

"Just take a seat over there and I'll tell you when you can see Mr. Nick Wilde," the cat said. Judy sighed and hopped over to the waiting room. She sat there with her paws in her lap. She was nervous for Nick. How bad were his wounds exactly? Judy really was terrified for her friend. She told him to be careful, but if he needed stitches, obviously he wasn't being careful. She was going to make that bear pay for what he did to Nick.

Judy began thinking hard. How exactly did she feel about Nick? If she really cared about his safely like this, did that mean that she had feelings for him? _'Course not,_ she sniffed to herself. _Friends can definitely care about the safety of each other._ But did Nick care deeply about her safety? _Of course he does,_ Judy assured herself. _If not, then he wouldn't be comforting me yesterday. But is that consider safety?_ She then realized that Nick tried to keep Alay the safest she could be. Did that mean that their friendship was just an ordinary one to Nick? That couldn't be. Nick had to think of their friendship as a deep one.

The cat at the counter awoke Judy from her thoughts. "Ms. Judy Hopps?" the cat mewed. Judy looked up and hopped out of her seat. She walked up to the counter, trying not to sprint.

"Yes?" Judy asked.

"You can go see Mister Nick Wilde now," the cat smiled. "He's in room 004. Just knock on the door before entering."

"Yes ma'am," Judy said, beginning to hop off. "Thank you, miss!"

She trotted down the hallways carefully. She didn't want to run and accidently knock into somebody. She didn't want to cause any trouble, however she was excited and nervous to see Nick.

She found room 004 and knocked on the door. It was cracked open, so she pushed her way through it. Nick was alone in the room, sipping on a glass of water. Judy walked up to him, noticing his wounds on his throat. They looked like they were deep. The scabs covered up the thread that the doctor used to stitch Nick up with.

"Hi, Nick," Judy said. Nick noticed her for the first time.

"Oh, hi Carrots," he said, setting his glass down on a table next to him.

"What happened to you?" Judy asked, walking closer to him.

"I had a nasty fight with Jaws the bear," Nick said. "Well, I didn't fight him. He just attacked me."

"What was wrong with him?" Judy wondered.

"We don't know yet," Nick replied. "Chief Bogo is having him sent to a hospital for the doctors to check up on him and to see what's wrong with him."

Judy noticed the scratches on his cheeks. "Nick, you look terrible," Judy said. "Are you really okay?"

Judy walked up to Nick's side and pressed her paw against his scratches. Nick wacked her paw off of him.

"Hey, stop!" he snapped, glaring at her. Judy took a step back. "That hurts."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Judy mumbled. Nick put his paw on top of hers.

"I didn't mean to snap at you," Nick explained.

"No, it's my fault," Judy replied. "I was being stupid and forgot that you were in pain. Tell me how you really feel. Don't try to be brave and suck in your pain. Tell me how the pain really hurts."

"I'm in a lot of pain, actually," Nick admitted. "It's not just my injuries. My head also hurts and I'm a bit dizzy. It must be the after effects of the attack."

"I'm sure that you'll feel better soon," Judy smiled, putting her free paw on top of Nick's paw (that was already on top of her other paw.) Nick gave her a warm smile, showing that he really appreciated her being there.

"Will you be attending work tomorrow?" Judy wondered.

"The doctor told me to take off about 3 days," Nick replied. "I don't know why though. I'm perfectly fine."

Judy raised an eyebrow at him.

"Okay, I'm not perfectly fine," Nick said. "But I should feel better by tomorrow."

"Take the doctor's advice," Judy told him. Nick snorted.

"Fine," he sighed. "But what will I do when I'm bored?"

Judy smirked. "Look up old criminal records? I mean, that's what I do," she said.

"Yeah, but have you ever considered that I'm not exactly like you?" Nick asked. Judy thought that she heard some snappiness in his voice, but he was probably tired.

"I should leave now," Judy said, slipping her paws away from Nick's paws. She turned to leave when Nick stopped her.

"Judy…" Nick whined.

"Yeah?" Judy squeaked. She looked back at the exhausted fox.

"Can you maybe…stay a bit longer?"

"Yeah, I can," Judy said.

"It's just that…I've been kind of snappy today and I don't want you leaving while holding a grudge against me," Nick said.

"It's okay, Nick," Judy replied. "I was like that yesterday."

"Except you were more emotional," Nick smirked. Judy smiled and punched Nick playfully in the arm.

"Ow," he moaned. Judy took a step back.

"Oops, sorry," Judy said. "I didn't know that you were hurt there."

"It feels as if my whole body is bruised," Nick told her.

"I'm sorry," Judy said, quietly. She put her paw back on top of his. "Do you need anything?"

"Can I go home now?" Nick asked.

"You should probably have the doctor speak with you before leaving," Judy told him. Nick nodded.

"Okay, okay," he sighed. "Can you go and get him?"

"Yeah, I can," Judy said. "Stay here."

"Where else would I go?" Nick raised his eyebrows. Judy rolled her eyes at her partner.

"I'll be right back," she told him. Nick winked at her as she turned to leave.

"Don't keep me waiting," he said.

"I won't!" Judy shouted, enthusiastically. And then she slipped out of the door.

##############################################################################

"Well, at least the doctor said I can get back to work the day _after_ tomorrow," Nick sighed.

"Hey, it's not so bad," Judy said, trying to cheer him up. "You'll be back to work before you know it."

"Yeah, but what's there to do all day today and tomorrow?" Nick asked. "And what will you do without me?"

Judy smiled. "I guess that I'll manage. You can get quite annoying and distracting sometimes, so I might get done with work even faster without you."

"Hey!" Nick exclaimed, pretending to be offensive. Judy stopped their car at a red light and looked over at Nick. He flipped some shades on over his eyes. Was he trying to hide some kind of emotion that was inside of him? _Maybe he's afraid that I'll see it in his eyes,_ Judy told herself.

Trying to break the awkward silence, Judy said, "Hey, how about I take the day off with you tomorrow?"

Nick looked at her. "You can't do that," Nick replied. "Can you?"

"I can," Judy sniffed. "I'll tell Chief Bogo that I want the day off. I can stop by at your apartment and we can hang out. You know. That way you won't be lonely."

"Carrots, are you inviting yourself to a date?" Nick flipped the shades off of his eyes. Judy blushed, quite embarrassed.

"That's not what I meant, you dumb fox," Judy snorted. "I thought that maybe we can do something since you'll be bored."

"I'd like that," Nick spoke. "I really would."

"Good, because that's what we'll do tomorrow," Judy smiled.

"Just do me one favor," Nick said.

"Anything."

"Let me sleep in. Please?" Nick asked, his voice pleading in a joking matter.

"Okay, my dumb fox," Judy giggled. "I guess that you can. But the latest that I'll let you sleep in is 9:30 a.m. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am," Nick replied, a sly smile spread across his face. He flipped the shades back on over his eyes, thinking about how cute Judy was. The way she had to have things was quite cute, like his sleeping limit. He shook his head, smiling from his thoughts. _That bunny is going to be the death of me._


	4. Don't let the Bedbugs bite

**A/N: Hey guys! Here is chapter 4 that you've been waiting for! (Hey, I'm a poet!) Just to let you all know, some people found chapter 3 a little confusing, so I went back and re-edited that one, making it less confusing. So now it's not so confusing anymore.**

 **Anyways, ENJOY!**

 **4**

" _Don't let the Bedbugs bite…"_

Judy ran up to Nick's apartment door at 9:45 a.m. the next morning, thinking to herself, _He better be up. I told him he had to be up by 9:30 and it's 15 minutes after that._ Judy knocked on his apartment door, hoping that he'd answer it soon. She didn't like to be kept waiting, especially when it came to Nick. He knew better than to keep her waiting.

"Hey, Carrots," Nick greeted, opening the door. He was wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt with light pray pants. His tie was dark navy blue, and Thank the Lord, his fur was combed. "Come on in."

Judy accepted his invitation into his apartment. To her surprise, it was tidy. Judy was often jealous of Nick's apartment. While hers was small and crappy, his was bigger with lots more room. How he ever managed to afford this apartment, she did not know. He had only been working for the ZPD about 5 months now and he bought this apartment when he first started working for them.

"Want anything to eat, Carrots?" awakening from her daze, Judy shook her head and looked at Nick—who was in the kitchen.

"Um, no. I'm good," Judy replied. She walked into the kitchen and stood beside her crime-fighting partner. "What are you plans for today?"

"I thought that you were in charge of the planning, Hopps," Nick said, grabbing an apple from his fridge. The apple looked so red and delicious. Judy began to moan on the inside. Nick caught her making some kind of face. He didn't understand what it meant, but it was strange. Then he saw her look at the apple and he understood.

"Here, Carrots. Take an apple," he spoke, grabbing an apple from his fridge and tossing it to Judy. Judy grabbed it with both of her paws and instantly took a bite into it. She moaned with delight at the juicy fruit.

"This is so good, Nick," Judy said to him. "Where did you get it?"

"Hmm…Let me think. I think that I stole the bag of apples on 5th Avenue," Nick replied, a sly smile spreading across his muzzle.

"Haha, very funny," Judy snorted, kicking his gently, yet playfully in the leg. She took another bite into the red, delicious apple.

"So, what are the plans, Carrots?" Nick asked, walking into his small Living Room and plopping down on a couch. Judy followed him and sat down next to him, still nibbling on her piece of fruit.

"I don't know," Judy told him. "We really can do anything. We can go on a picnic, maybe?"

"Hmm…That sounds nice and relaxing," Nick replied, putting his paws on the back of his head and yawning.

"Or we could just nap together," Nick suggested.

Judy looked at him for a second, trying to registered what he just said. Nick saw the look on her face and quickly added in, "Oh, no! Not _together_ together."

Judy sighed in relief. "Okay, okay," she said, a smile growing on her face. "At first that's what I thought you meant."

Nick chuckled and replied slyly, "Now, what would make you think that?"

Judy shrugged. "Just the way you said it, I guess." She finished up her apple and handed the core to Nick. "Go throw it away."

"You sly bunny," Nick muttered while rising to his feet. He walked over to the trash can in his kitchen and dropped her liter into it. Judy hopped off of the sofa and trotted over to Nick. She pulled herself onto his small counter and sat there.

"Do you want to start packing for the picnic?" she wondered.

"Sure," Nick replied. "What should we bring? I don't have too much food, but we can make due."

"We're definitely brining your delicious apples. Where did you actually get them at?" Judy asked.

"I got them at Howl Foods. They're organic," Nick replied.

"Where do we have a Howl Foods around us?" Judy questioned. "I can't remember ever seeing one close by."

"Somebody in Foxwile sent them to me," Nick explained. Judy thought that she saw sadness grow in his eyes.

"Do you miss it?" Judy asked, her voice soft.

"Nah, not really," he admitted. "Zootopia is a much better place."

"I'm glad to hear that," Judy said. "Come on, let's start packing up some food."

"Okay, Chief," Nick winked. Judy giggled and searched through his fridge, first grabbing out his bag of amazing, organic apples. She looked in there for meats and cheeses. She saw thin slices of meat and cheese and threw those packages onto Nick's kitchen counter.

"Hey, slow down," Nick said.

"Sorry," Judy mumbled, still searching for sandwich food. She threw a container of mayonnaise and mustard on the counter, still searching for more toppings while Nick freaked out. She found a jar of pickles and held it behind her.

"DON'T!" Nick exclaimed, grabbing the jar of pickles "Throw that."

Judy blushed, embarrassed. "Oops. Sorry," she said. Nick shook his head with a smile on his face.

"You dumb bunnies," he muttered, quite amused with Judy's stupidness. Judy rolled her eyes at Nick's comment and grabbed out some tomatoes in his fridge. Then she stepped back and closed the refrigerator door. She placed the tomatoes on the counter and looked at Nick.

"Wow, you have everything," Judy said. "But do you have bread?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," Nick replied, opening up a cupboard and taking out a loaf of bread. "Start putting together the sandwiches."

"And you'll be doing what?" Judy asked Nick, one of her eyebrows raised. Nick sighed.

"And I will…help?" Nick asked, throwing his paws up.

"You're darn right you will," Judy replied. "Now get working."

Judy and Nick stood side-by-side in front of the counter, putting together sub-like sandwiches. Judy had lots of fun making hers. She put on everything that she brought out for the subs. Nick just put on meat, cheese, and tomatoes. He liked his sub/sandwich plainer than full.

As Judy was busy putting her sub together, she felt something brush against her back. She shot a look behind her and saw that it was Nick's tail. He probably didn't mean to do that, so she didn't make any comment about it. She just continued to make her sandwich.

"So," Nick spoke when they were done. "Do you want to be old fashioned and use a basket?"

"No," Judy replied. "Let's just put it in a bag. Besides, I don't think either of us owns a basket."

"True," Nick stated. "Let me go get a bag."

While Nick walked down the hallway, Judy sniffed around Nick's house. It did smell good. It smelled like a new apartment that was never used before. Judy liked that smell and she smiled. Nick sure did have a great apartment…

"Carrots, here's the bag," Nick said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, okay," Judy said, grabbing the paper bag from his paws. She grabbed their subs (that they put in plastic bags) and dropped them into the brown, paper bag.

"What else should we bring?" Judy asked Nick.

"I've got chips," Nick shrugged.

"Do you have carrots?" Judy pondered. Nick looked at Judy, his arms spread out wide.

"Do I look like a bunny to you?" he asked. Judy was a little hurt by Nick's statement, but she shrugged it off of her mind. Instead, she gave him a playful smile.

"Well, if your ears were longer and your tail was shorter…You'd make a great bunny," Judy grinned. Nick chuckled as he grabbed a bag of chips.

"You sure know how to make things into a joke, don't you Carrots?" Nick said, slipping the bag of chips into their paper bag.

"I try," Judy admitted. "But you're better at it."

"That's because I'm a fox, Sweetheart." There it was. That sly smile of his was on his face again. Judy loved that smile so much, only because it reminded her of their first mission together when Nick was 'Nothing but a fox.' That's kind of what she used to think of him as, but she did love his company then. Now he was a police officer and they still had fun. They related to some more things and hung out often. Judy thought about this. If she had to pick between the old Nick and the new Nick, which Nick would she choose? The old, sly Nick? Or the new, relatable, cop Nick? He was the same both ways, but at the same time, he was different.

"Ready to go?" Nick asked. Judy nodded.

"Yeah," she replied. "Do we have all of the food we want? Should we get more?"

"I'm good," Nick answered. "If we get hungrier, we can stop by at a café and grab some pastries or something."

"Okay," Judy said. "Let's go, then."

##############################################################################

"Judy, this looks like a good spot," Nick said. Judy and Nick were in a pretty field in the Zootopia Central Park and there were dark wooden oak benches around them.

"Do you want to sit on the ground or on a bench?" Judy wondered.

"How about the ground?" Nick suggested.

"Okay," Judy said, setting their food bag down on the soft, dark green grass underneath a tall, shady tree. She slipped down onto the ground and began to grab the food out of their paper bag. Nick looked down at her until he decided he should sit down too.

"Here's your sub," Judy said, handing Nick his sub. Judy got hers out of the plastic bag and began to chomp on it. "This is so good."

Nick pulled his sub out of the plastic bag and took a small bite into his. He nodded in agreement.

"These are pretty good," he replied. He continued to eat his sub and he finished it in no time. Judy was still taking her sweet old time savoring her sub. She was only half way done when she heard a vaguely familiar voice.

"Officer Judy Hopps. Officer Nick Wilde," Alay said, smiling down at them. "Well, what a coincidence that I ran into you guys here at this park."

"Hey, Alay," Judy greeted cheerfully. "It _is_ a coincidence. What are you doing here?"

"Yeah, really, what are you doing here?" Nick asked. "Don't you have work to be at?"

"I got fired," Alay explained. "I was fired right after my co-worker got arrested. But what about you guys? Aren't you supposed to be on duty?"

"Well, you see," Judy began. "Nick got attacked by your bear co-worker, Jaws."

Alay gasped. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that!"

"I'm okay, really," Nick assured her. "I just had to have some stiches—15 stiches actually—and the doctor told me to take the day off. So Miss Judy Hopps took the day off with me."

"Isn't that kind," Alay smiled, her smile a little sly looking. "Mind if I join you guys?"

Without thinking, Judy shouted, "Sure!" Then she looked at Nick who looked upset. She totally forgot that he did not feel comfortable around Alay. He gave her a pleading kind of look, but it was too late to change anything now.

"Thank you," Alay replied, sitting down next to Nick.

"Apple, Miss Alay?" Nick asked, reaching into the apple bag and holding one out for her in his paw.

"Sure," Alay replied, taking the apple from his paws. She bit into it and ate half of the apple in one bite. Judy looked at Alay in shock. How could she do that all in one bite?

"So, what brings you here?" Alay wondered.

"Can we just not be here if we want to?" Nick asked with snappiness in his voice. Judy shot him a scolding look.

Alay giggled. "No, that's not what I meant. I was wondering if this was maybe a date. Cuz if it is, I can just leave…"

Nick cut in, his arms spread out on front of him. "Oh no, no, no!" he exclaimed. "No, this is not a date! Not at all."

Judy tried to hold in a giggle. Nick looked so offended over Alay's question.

"Nick's totally right," Judy cut in. "This is no date. We're just…friends."

Alay set a sly look on his face. "Just friends, eh?"

Nick cleared his throat. "Um, yes. We're just friends," he replied. Alay nodded, finishing her apple in one other bite. Judy still couldn't believe that she could do that.

Judy and Nick (plus Alay) finished up their picnic in about 15 minutes. They talked about random stuff. Though Nick was uncomfortable around her, he started warming up to her. Alay actually was a very friendly and funny vixen. The more and more she talked about her life, the more her life seemed less suspicious. _I guess that she wasn't lying about her job,_ Nick told himself. Slowly, he became less suspicious about Alay. He decided that she was just an average fox with an average life.

"Well, thank you for inviting me to join you guys," Alay smiled politely, shaking both Nick's and Judy's paws. "That was very fun."

"No problem, Miss Alay," Nick grinned.

"It's just plain Alay," she vixen replied. "Now that we're considered acquaintances now, it's okay to call me by my first name."

"I'd say we're more of friends," Nick said. "Just call me plain Nick, then."

"Okay, Nick," Alay smiled widely. Judy smiled at the two of them, knowing that they were now friends. But then a thought crossed Judy's mind. What if they became closer and their small friendship grew deeper? What if that happened and Nick stopped hanging out with Judy? Judy shuttered at the thought.

"We should be going," Judy cut in. "Come on, Nick."

"Like the bunny said, I gotta run," Nick said. He picked up their trash and tossed it into a nearby trashcan that was conveniently by them. "See you, Alay."

As Judy and Nick walked off, Nick turned around and made a clicking noise with his mouth while winking at the vixen. Alay put a paw over her mouth and giggled. Nick smiled, feeling pretty good about himself.

"So, what's the big rush?" Nick asked Judy once Alay was out of sight.

"What do you mean?" Judy asked, obliviously.

"Why did we have to leave right away?" Nick explained.

"Well, we were done there, so it was time to go, right?" Judy replied. "Let's go do something else. Where should we go?"

Nick shrugged. "I kind of just want to go home," he said.

"Oh," Judy said, a little upset. She let her ears droop down, but just a little bit so that it wasn't noticeable. "Okay."

Nick noticed her attitude gloom down a little bit. "We can maybe watch some TV together at my apartment," Nick said. Judy's eyes lightened up.

"Really?" she asked. "That'd be fun."

"Good, 'cause that's what we'll do," Nick replied. His paw brushed against hers which made Judy jump a little bit. Physical tough wasn't really familiar between the two of them, unless it was a hug or something. But random physical tough made Judy jump sometimes. Maybe it made Nick feel that same why and that could be why he reacted awkwardly when she was still holding his hand as they walked out of the pizza parlor together the day before.

Once they reached Nick's apartment, Judy dashed for the sofa. She literally _hopped_ onto it and snuggled down into it. Nick chuckled and followed Judy after closing the door behind him. He sat next to Judy and patted her on the head.

"Energetic little bunny, aren't you?" he sniffed. Judy wacked his paw off of her head.

"Don't pat me," she snorted. Nick smiled, quite amused with Judy, and turned on the TV. They watched a little bit of some random TV while snuggling down deeper into the couch. Before Judy knew it, she was fast asleep.

It probably wasn't the best time for Judy to have a nightmare. Having a nightmare about Nick in Nick's apartment made Judy feel uncomfortable, but she couldn't stop the nightmare. She could wake up at all.

 _They were in a dark forest. It was storming out_ (of course.) _Nick was beyond savage again, his eyes dull, yet terrifying. Foam settled on the sides of his lips as he growled. He was down on all fours like a wild animal and his eyes landed on Judy. Judy panicked and looked at Nick who was advancing towards her._

" _Nick," she whispered. "It's me. What are you doing? Why are you acting like this?"_

 _Nick had no sign of intelligence in him. He was pretty much just a mindless creature whose only point in life was killing Judy. Judy screamed and made the mistake by running. Nick raced after her and pinned her down to the ground. Judy screamed a blood curling scream as Nick pressed his front paws on her arms. He stared straight into her violet eyes and then dropped his head down towards her neck, snapping his jaws onto her throat…_

Judy jolted upright and screamed. Nick (who also happened to be asleep) jumped up and looked at Judy. She panted hard, her eyes filled with fear as she shivered.

"Carrots? Are you okay?" Nick asked. She had herself pretty shaken up. He even started shaking.

Judy made no move. She just sat there, staring at the ground. _That nightmare was even worse than the first one,_ she told herself. Then her thoughts were interrupted by Nick's voice.

"Carrots? Carrots? Judy?!" Nick exclaimed. Judy finally caught her senses and returned back to the present.

"Y-yeah?" Judy stuttered, her body still shaking.

"Are you okay?" Nick asked, very concerned. "I heard you scream."

"Y-yeah," Judy panted. "It was just a nightmare."

"About what?" Nick wondered. Judy wrapped her arms around herself.

"I'm not going to say," Judy replied. "I don't want to talk about it."

Nick wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort the terrified, shivering bunny.

"Relax, Judy," he said. "Nothing can hurt you. It was just a nightmare, so calm down."

Judy took in a deep breath and nodded. She cuddled up next to Nick and tried her hardest to stop her shaking. It was hard though. That nightmare really did terrify her. A lot. She didn't want to tell Nick about it at all, though. She didn't want Nick to feel guilty about her nightmares and she sure didn't want him to worry about her.

After she finally calmed down, Judy sighed.

"I'm okay now," she said. She looked outside the window and realized that it was later than she thought. Night had fallen while they were asleep. Then a thought recurred to Judy. Had they actually slept together? Like, snuggled up like a couple? Judy didn't like that thought very much.

"I should probably get home," Judy finally spoke after a few minutes. "We have work tomorrow and I need some sleep."

"Sure thing, Carrots," Nick said. "I'll walk you home."

Judy smiled and slid off of the couch. A small, trembling shiver still hadn't left her body, but she knew that it'd leave her once Nick and her started walking back to her apartment.

Nick and Judy walked out of Nick's apartment and walked down the hallway. They walked in a peaceful silence and the silence still lingered as they went on and off the elevator.

Once they left the lobby, Judy thought that she should speak.

"Thanks," she mumbled.

"For what, exactly?" Nick wondered.

"For comforting me back there," Judy replied. "I was really terrified from my nightmare."

"You know, if you ever want to talk about it, I'm all open," Nick reminded her.

"Thank you, Nick," Judy said, giving him a smile. The rest of the walk was continued in silence.

Once they reached Judy's apartment, Judy opened up the door with her key (and yes, it was shaped like a carrot.) She flung the door open and turned around in the doorway to face her partner.

"Thanks, again," Judy said.

"Don't mention it," Nick shrugged.

"But I did," Judy smirked.

Nick chuckled. "You sly bunny."

"And you dumb fox."

The two looked at each other for a while, both thinking about the other. Nick was hoping that Judy would be okay alone after her nightmare. Judy was thinking about how much of an awesome friend Nick was towards her.

Catching her senses, Judy shook her head. "Well, I better head in," Judy told Nick.

"Oh, of course," Nick replied.

"Goodnight," Judy said.

"Goodnight, Carrots," Nick responded. "Don't let the bedbugs bite."

"I won't," Judy giggled. Before closing the door on his face, she whispered. "Have a goodnight, Nick."

She didn't get the chance to hear his reply because her door was already shut. Judy sighed, sad that she didn't have Nick's company anymore. She climbed into bed without eating anything for dinner and stared at the ceiling, hoping that sleep would make its way to her. She thought about Nick and hoped that he wouldn't worry about her.

When sleep finally did come, it didn't bring much comfort to her. Instead it brought another nightmare along with it.

 _Nick was on top of Judy, about to grab her throat and kill her with his fangs._

" _Nick, don't do this," Judy pleaded. "What have I ever done to you? Please, return back to your old self!"_

 _Nick growled at her, his foamy saliva dripping down onto Judy's neck._

" _Nick, please don't!" Judy whimpered._

" _Oh, but I have to, Judy," Nick finally spoke. His voice was dark and cold. "You see, I can't help it. I can't do anything to stop it."_

 _He snickered evilly, his fangs clenched together in an unsatisfying smile._

" _No, no, no!" Judy exclaimed._ _She struggled to escape, but Nick had her pinned down to the ground for good._

" _I have just one message before I kill you though," Nick smirked, his mouth wide open as if he were laughing._

" _W-what's that?" Judy trembled._

 _Nick set a sly smile on his face. "Don't let the bedbugs bite!"_

 _And that was the last thing that Judy ever heard before Nick grabbed her throat and killed her._

 **How did you guys like this chapter? I hope that you liked it. I sure had some fun writing it. Please post some reviews. I feed off of reviews, you know. ;)**


	5. Bunny Terrors

**A/N: Here is chapter 5. It's a little bit shorter than the average chapter, but it's still a chapter! Sorry if there are some grammar mistakes in here. I was just too lazy to proof read this. :P**

 **Please review.**

 **5**

 _Bunny Terrors_

"Carrots. Pssst! Carrots! Judy!"

Judy was curled up on her bead, shivering and mumbling in her sleep. Nick had walked up to her apartment the next morning to walk with Judy to work, but when she didn't come out of her room, Nick decided to sneak into it and awake the sleeping bunny.

When Judy opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Nick looking down at her. She screamed, and instinctively, kicked him hard, like, _really_ hard in the nose. Nick jumped back and yelped, rubbing his nose with his paw while whimpering. Judy sat upright in bed and realized that her nightmare wasn't real. The first thing she thought when she saw Nick's face was that he was about to attack her like he did in her nightmare.

"Oh, I…I'm really sorry, Nick," Judy apologized when she realized how much pain he was in. "You startled me."

"That's okay," Nick replied; his voice muffled because of the paw over his mouth. "Did you have another nightmare?"

Judy didn't want to make things suspicious by saying that she did. If she did, Nick would figure out that he was part of her nightmare and that was why she kicked him in the nose. So Judy shook her head.

"No," she said. "I'm just not used to waking up with foxes in my face."

Nick set his famous sly smile on his muzzle. "Well, you better get ready. If we don't leave soon, we'll be late for work."

"Okay, well leave my room then," Judy instructed. Nick nodded and left her room with his cute smile still on his face. _Did I just think cute?_ Judy asked herself. _Since when have I thought of such things?_ Shrugging off the thought, Judy slipped into her police uniform. She slipped on her police belt over her hips and left her apartment, meeting Nick outside of her door.

"I'm ready," she said. Nick's _cute_ smile lingered on his muzzle for a little bit longer before he opened his mouth to speak.

"Okay, Chief Hopps," Nick winked. Judy smiled back at him, her eyebrows raised.

"I'm Officer Hopps," Judy replied, her eyes dancing with amusement.

"Whatever you say…Chief."

"Ugh," Judy snorted, but a giggled escaped from her lips. She walked by Nick's side as they left the building and walked down the streets of Zootopia. Judy was happy to have Nick's company by her side for the entire day and for the days to come. It was rare when there was a day that they never saw each other. Judy didn't want that to change, either.

"Hey Nick!"

The two officers turned around to see the Arctic vixen. Nick set a smile on his lips.

"Hey, Alay!" Nick greeted.

"I'm guessing that you're on your way to work," Alay said, cheerfully.

"Yeah, we are," Judy replied. "Where are you heading to?"

"Just to the café at the corner," Alay replied. "What a coincidence that we bumped into each other again."

"Yeah," Nick said. "But it's a nice one."

"I have to be on my way. See you Nick!" Alay said, walking off and waving. "See you, Officer Hopps!"

When Alay was gone, Judy snorted. " _Officer Hopps?_ " she growled. "Are you kidding me?"

"Hey, at least she acknowledged you," Nick said, trying to lighten her up.

"I don't think that that was a coincidence," Judy said. "I don't think that any of her encounters are. What are the chances that we ran into her 3 times in 3 days? Something's up."

Nick shrugged. "I don't think so," he spoke. "She's just a nice vixen."

"Well, that nice vixen is acting suspicious to me," Judy muttered.

"Come on," Nick said, ignoring her words. "Let's walk faster and get to work on time."

"Okay…" Judy mumbled. They sped up their pace, walking twice as fast as before. _Well, at least the snow queen is gone._

When they entered the ZPD building, Judy walked up to Clawhauser while Nick trotted off to their office. The cheetah looked down at Judy and smiled.

"Hey, Judy!" he greeted.

"Good morning," Judy replied. "I came here to see if I can set an appointment with Chief Bogo."

"Maybe later this afternoon," Clawhauser told her. "Should I call him up and tell him?"

"Please, that'd be great," Judy said. "Thanks, Clawhauser!"

Judy walked off and headed for her office. She found Nick in there on his phone. Judy cleared her throat with a loud "Ahem!" Nick looked over at her and put his phone down.

"Ready to start work?" Nick asked.

"You should have already begun," Judy snorted. Nick sighed.

"I kind of did," Nick replied.

"On your phone?"

"Okay, okay, Carrots. You win. Again," Nick said. Judy nodded.

"Thank you," she said, grinning. She took her seat next to her partner and grabbed out a folder and looked over the reports.

"What took you so long to get here?" Nick asked.

"It wasn't _so_ long," Judy replied. "I was just setting an appointment with Chief Bogo today."

"May I ask why?" Nick said.

"You can ask, but you may not get an answer?" Judy teased.

"Hmm…" Nick grunted, playing along. "Why?"

"I'm not going to answer," Judy smirked.

"But I asked."

"And I said that I may not answer that."

"You sly bunny."

"You dumb fox. Like, seriously. How dumb can you get?" Judy snickered. Nick put his chin in his paw and put on a thinking face.

"Let me think…I guess we can be _pretty_ dumb if we want, but how sly can you bunnies get?" he raised an eyebrow.

"I guess that we can be pretty sly, too," Judy replied. Nick shook his head, chuckling.

"You bunnies," he muttered, amused with his friend's slyness. "So, will you really tell me?"

"I want to know if there is a case that we can work on. Maybe even a little one," Judy spoke. "I don't know. There's just not much action sitting in an office and marking different reports and papers."

"I agree," Nick said. "I'm pretty sure that Chief will find us something to do. Even if it's being a Meter Maid."

Judy glared at him and punched him in the arm. "Hey, shut up!" Nick just snickered, realizing how great that joke was. Judy giggled along, trying to gulp down the soon-to-be loud laughs.

"Come on, let's just get to work," Judy said. "No more talk."

"Okay…Chief."

##############################################################################

"Come in."

Judy heard the rough voice of Chief Bogo. She reached up to grab the tall doorknob and twisted it, opening the door. Judy walked into Chief Bogo's office and pushed the door closed behind her. She walked up closer to his desk and pulled herself onto a chair. It was a pretty comfortable chair, too.

"You wanted to see me," Bogo said.

"Um, yes sir," Judy began. "I did. I-"

Chief Bogo held out a hoof, cutting her off. "Let me talk before you go on any farther."

"Oh, yes sir," Judy said. "Of course. Sorry."

"What do you exactly want?" Chief Bogo asked.

"Well, I was just about to get into that," Judy explained. "You see, being a cop is really great and fun and all. I mean, there aren't really any downers about being a cop…"

"Are you saying that you want to resign, Office Hopps?" Bogo asked.

"Oh, no! No, no, no! Not at all!" Judy replied. "I just was wondering if there is something else I could do…? Instead of being in an office all day?"

Chief Bogo grunted. "Hmm…" he grumbled. "Let me think about it, Officer Hopps. I will see what I have open for you."

"And Nick Wilde, too," Judy added in.

"And Officer Wilde," Bogo sighed. "Okay. I will call you in my office tomorrow to tell you if I have anything for you to do. Instead of…what was it?"

"Being stuck in an office all day," Judy replied.

"Yes, yes. That. You may be excused now, Officer Hopps," Chief Bogo said.

"Thank you, Chief," Judy said, smiling. She slipped off of the comfortable chair and walked towards the exiting door. She opened up the door and left Chief Bogo's office with an excited, high-hopes smile on.

##############################################################################

Nick and Judy were sitting in the ZPD cafeteria that day. Judy was telling Nick about her meeting with Chief Bogo that she had earlier. Nick listened carefully while eating an excuse for a hotdog.

"This tastes terrible," Nick growled, upset that he was eating garbage.

"Yeah, well this salad is pretty good," Judy said. "I don't like hotdogs."

"Good, because this is the worst excuse for a hotdog ever!" Nick exclaimed. "I mean, look at it! It's more red than it is brown. This is not a real hotdog."

Nick dropped his hotdog on his plate. "I'm not eating that. Yuck!"

Judy smiled. "Here, take some salad."

"Oh, thanks, Carrots," he replied as Judy scooped some of her salad onto his plate. "But I don't have a fork."

"Ah, don't worry," Judy replied. "Just eat with your paws. I don't mind."

"Okay, Carrots," Nick said, shrugging. He picked up the salad leaves with his paws and began to eat it. Judy watched him eat his food. It was kind of gross because he began to slobber just a bit. Judy was about to say something, but then she remembered her nightmare and Nick's foamy saliva on his lips. Judy shuttered at the memory of her terrible dream.

"Carrots? Hey Carrots," Nick said. Judy looked up, awakening from her daze. She blinked her eyes a couple of times before returning back to her old self.

"All out of salad already?" Judy asked. Then she began to tease him. "What a _savage_ eater you are."

"Hey!" Nick whined, pretending to act offended. He reached out to punch her playfully, but when Judy saw Nick's paw in front of her, she remembered her nightmare again for a second and flinched back away from his paw. A shiver flowed down her spine as she jumped away from him.

"Carrots?" Nick cocked his head.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay," Judy said. She didn't try to make an excuse for why she flinched back, though. It was clear to her that Nick's _almost_ physical touch scared her to death.

Nick wiped his paws on a napkin, getting the salad dressing off of them. He slipped out of his chair and stood by Judy's chair. Judy jumped just a smidge back when she saw Nick stand close to her. It wasn't so noticeable, thank God, but Nick did sense something odd about Judy.

"You ready to head back to work, Carrots?" Nick asked, a hint of concern in his voice. Judy tried to act like her bright old self.

"Yep!" she smiled. "Come on. Let's head back and hang out before our lunch break is over."

"Okay, Hopps," Nick said, smiling. He followed Judy out of the door, wondering what was up with Judy a few minutes ago. His smile dropped for a minute as he thought about this, but he realized that it must have been nothing, and his famous smile spread across his muzzle once more.

 **Like I said, this one was a shorter chapter. There really wasn't much to write about this chapter. It's just now starting to warm up to the main plot of this Fan fiction, so I hope that you liked this! LATERZ!**


	6. Coming Together, Coming Apart

**A/N: Here's chapter 6. I had some trouble writing this. I thought that I was moving too fast, but I'm really not. It may seem like that right now, but you'll realize later that I'm going at the right pace.**

 **I just saw Zootopia AGAIN! AHHH! I love it!**

 **Enjoy, read, and review!**

 **6**

 _Coming Together, Coming Apart_

When Chief Bogo had no news for Judy the next day, she was kind of pouty. She really wanted to find some kind of action, but all of the other criminal chases and arrests were taken care of. She dragged herself into her office again, grumbling and pouting. Nick looked up from his phone (because they pretty much already finished their work since their work was boring and easy.)

"What's the news, Carrots?" Nick wondered. "Taking it from you face, I'd say they're not good news."

"Nope," Judy muttered. "Why can't we just do some other job? Like, watching out for speeders!"

"Jerry and Tod are already on that," Nick stated.

"Well, why not directing traffic?" Judy moaned. "I mean, even a Meter Maid would be better than this!"

"Then why don't you go crawl up to Chief Bogo and plead—while on your knees—for your old Meter Maid job back?" Nick smirked. But Judy was not in the mood for teasing.

"Shut up, Nick," Judy snapped.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Nick exclaimed. "What has gotten into you, Cottontail? Don't you know a joke when you hear one?"

"And don't you know when to _stop_ joking?" Judy shot back.

"Hey, I can joke around all I want!" Nick growled. "That wasn't even an offensive joke, Judy!"

 _Oh, he used me name. He really must be angry,_ Judy told herself. _Now I've got to beat him at this little game!_

"Listen, Mister Wilde," Judy snorted. "I have the right to be offended with anything! As you can see, I'm not in the mood for your little, stupid jokes!"

"Well then, maybe you can lighten up your mood, Hopps!"

"Well, what if I don't want to?!"

"For God's sake, shut your little bunny mouth!"

"I WON'T!" Judy shouted.

"THEN JUST LEAVE!"

Judy stopped. She felt really choked up right there. Nick really wanted her to leave? I mean, she couldn't blame him because she _was_ in a bad mood, but the way he said it really hurt her. Her nose twitched as she looked at Nick's angry face. The fire in his eyes made Judy cringe and it filled her with fear. Judy really didn't like the look of his cross face. It kind of resembled the one in her nightmare, only not quite as crazy-mad.

Judy whirled around and raced out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. She zoomed down the hallways of the ZPD building, ignoring the hot tears rolling out of her eyes. She didn't care if anybody saw her acting like this. She was so done with Nick. Something had been in him the last couple of days, even if it wasn't noticeable. Then again, Nick probably thought that she had an attitude these last couple of day, but that was only because of the nightmares that were haunting her thoughts.

Judy heard a faint "Judy!" It was probably Nick, but she didn't care. Nick was being a jerk and something changed in him right there. His eyes changed and _not_ just because he was mad. Something in them made some kind of permanent change in him, but Judy didn't know exactly what the change was yet.

"Judy?" Clawhauser asked. Judy turned around and looked at the cheetah.

"Clawhauser, tell Chief Bogo that I'm going home early," Judy explained. "And tell him that it is not because there are no other jobs for me. Tell him that it's personal stuff."

"But, Judy-"

Judy didn't have time to hear what else Clawhauser was going to say because she already had left the ZPD Police Department. She sobbed hard, angry tears as she raced down the streets of Zootopia.

Running into her apartment, Judy slammed the door closed and jumped onto her bed, crying into her pillow. Why was Nick acting like this? Recently he had been really snappy and today he just let all of it out of him. Something definitely was wrong with Nick and he was bringing it all out on her; he was making her suffer.

Judy cried for about an entire hour, thinking about how their friendship was probably over. Judy really didn't want that, but it was probably for the best. If Nick kept on acting like this and got worse, their friendship would never work out.

Later that evening, a little bit before she would've gotten home, she heard some knocking on her door. Judy knew exactly who it was but she chose to ignore him. There was a second knock. Judy still refused to answer the door. A few seconds later, she heard the door creak open.

"Judy?"

Judy refused to look at Nick. Instead she turned her back to him, trying to ignore him. But that was pretty much impossible, especially since Judy was waiting for this moment.

"Look, Judy. I'm sorry…"

Judy still refused to turn around and look at her friend—no, her foe.

"I understand if you hate me," Nick went on. "I really shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I would do anything to go back in time and change everything, but I really screwed things up. You probably don't want to see my face ever again and I respect that. But before I leave for good, and I mean before I leave everything, I just want you to know how sorry I am. I have been such a jerk lately. Something had been bothering me ever since my attack with Jaws and I guess it has infected me in some way."

Nick sighed. His voice started faltering as he went on. "I never thought that we'd end this way." Then he gave a nervous, sad chuckle. "Heck, I never thought that our friendship would end at all. But I ruined everything. I caused you to get hurt in the end and I just…I really just regret that.

"I never wanted to ever hurt you, Judy. Ever. I would rather hurt myself 10 times harder than cause you pain. I'm so, so sorry."

Judy heard Nick turn to leave. Her eyes watered and her nose twitched like crazy. Why on earth would she want to end this friendship just because he snapped at her, again? At the time, she was really mad at him and his cross face put fear into her, but now hearing Nick admit how terrible he felt and how sorry he was, Judy felt like she was the bad one.

She couldn't let him go like this. She refused to let herself make Nick feel guilty for the rest of his life when it was really _her_ fault in the first place. Judy ran straight to Nick and wrapped her arms around his waist, sobbing into his shirt.

"I'm so, so sorry, Nick!" Judy cried, gasping for breath between each sob. Nick bent over and hugged Judy back, tightly. He closed his eyes and endured this moment, not ever wanting to let Judy go. He had just realized how much Judy really meant to him and how he never wanted to let her go.

"Carrots…"

"Don't say anything, Nick," Judy said, looking up at her partner. "It was all my fault. I've been a huge jerk with a bad attitude today and it just caused you to be angry too, I guess. I'm such an idiot."

"No you're not," Nick whispered.

"Yes I am. Don't argue with me."

"But what if I do?"

"Does everything have to be a joke?" Judy asked.

"Yes. Yes it does," Nick replied. Judy laughed and hugged Nick again.

"I'm sorry that I almost ruined us," Judy sighed.

"It was just as much me as it was you," Nick replied. "I'm just sorry that I made you cry. I really didn't mean to hurt you. Like I said, I haven't been feeling top notch since the attack."

Judy ran her paw down the scabs on Nick's neck, gently. "It still hurts?"

"A little bit, but that's not what's bothering me," Nick replied. "It just feels as if the attack made a snappy kind of after-taste on me."

"That doesn't make any sense," Judy giggled.

"It should," Nick winked. He hugged Judy even tighter as a single tear rolled down his cheek. "I thought I lost you."

"I thought I lost _you,_ " Judy said, the tears coming back to her eyes. "I don't ever want to lose you, Nick."

"And I you," Nick whispered. "Shh. Stop with your crying, you emotional bunny."

"I could say the same to you, you emotional fox," Judy replied, a smirk on her face. "Don't think that I didn't see that tear."

"You sly bunny. You weren't supposed to see that," Nick chuckled.

"You dumb fox. You should've known that I was smart like that."

After holding each other for a few minutes, Judy and Nick pulled apart. Judy looked up at Nick, a smile on her face.

"Thank you for returning to me," Judy said.

"And thank you for letting me back in," Nick replied. "I don't know what I would've done if we really did go our separate ways."

"Me neither."

"I should go now, Judy," Nick spoke. "I'll be by to pick you up tomorrow morning."

"But tomorrow is Saturday," Judy said. "We don't work tomorrow."

"Can we still not hang out?"

"Okay, fine. What time should I be up by?" Judy wondered.

"6:00 a.m. sharp," Nick teased. Judy giggled.

"I'll at least be up by 9:30 a.m. Deal?" Judy held out her paw.

"Deal." Nick took her paw and shook it. And then he pulled her into a quick hug. "'Night, Carrots."

"Goodnight, Nicky."

Nick looked back at Judy when she said that. He gave her an unpleased kind of look before leaving for good. _That face,_ she thought. _What does it mean? Why doesn't he like me calling him Nicky?_ Judy ignored it and climbed into bed early, sleeping a goodnight without any nightmares.

##############################################################################

"This coffee is amazing!" Judy exclaimed, sipping her coffee. They were at a nice little café the next evening. It was just the two of them in the shop and it was nice and peaceful. Not many animals came into the café at night.

"Well, I'm in love with this Frappuccino," Nick said. "Man, this whipped cream is delicious. Here, you try some."

Nick pushed his cup closer to Judy. Judy dipped her paw in his cup and scooped up some whipped cream. She licked the whipped cream off of her paw and moaned with delight.

"Oh my gosh, Nick," Judy said. "This _is_ amazing."

"So you doubted me?" Nick teased.

"I never said that," Judy snorted.

"So you have to taste to believe?" Nick raised an eyes brow.

"Well, you foxes have certain taste opinions for certain things that we bunnies don't like," Judy replied. "Like hotdogs. How can you even eat those things?"

"I could say the same with you and vegetables," Nick responded. "And that hotdog yesterday was _not_ a hotdog."

"Okay, that makes me hate hotdogs even more," Judy said, pushing Nick's Frappuccino back to him. Nick scooped it up in his paws and slurped half of it down in a few minutes.

"Gees, you eat—and drink—super fast. How?" Judy asked.

"I'm a fox. I have a bigger stomach than you," Nick winked. Judy smirked.

"Oh, really? You think that we bunnies have small stomachs just because we're small?" Judy asked, her smirk spreading wider.

"Are you challenging me?" Nick asked with his eyebrows raised.

"As a matter of fact, I am," Judy replied. "I will go order 2 Frappuccinos and we'll see who can drink it the fastest."

"Okay," Nick said. "Hurry up. Don't keep me waiting for too long."

"I won't. We're the only ones in here, so…" Judy trailed off as she walked away. Nick chuckled and sipped his Frappuccino. _Wait, I need to save room in my stomach to prove Judy wrong, so I should stop drinking this._

Suddenly, the café door swung open. In it came none other than Alay. She smiled and walked up to Nick's table when she spotted him.

"Hey, Nick," she said. "How's your evening?"

"It's going great," Nick replied. "Judy is going to get us some more Frappuccinos."

"More?" Alay asked, a little shocked. "Is one each not enough?"

Nick chuckled. "We're having a contest to see who can drink more and who can drink the fastest."

"That sounds fun," Alay said, her crystal blue eyes shining. "Well, I was wondering if I could have your number. You know, in case you wanted to hang out."

"I'm sure that he'd definitely do it."

Alay turned around and saw Judy holding two Frappuccinos in her hand. She had on a bright smile and looked at Nick. He nodded as if he was telling her, 'Of course. Why wouldn't I?'

"It's 770-896-2245," Nick told her. "Got that?"

Alay finished typing it down on her phone. "Yep, I've got that. Do you want to know mine?"

"Sure," Nick said. He brought out his phone to type down Alay's number on.

"678-343-9050."

"Okay," Nick said when he was finished typing it down. "I'll be sure to be in contact with you."

"Okay." Alay set a cute smile on her face. "Judy, would you want to know my number?"

"Oh, it's alright," Judy said. "You should go get your drink. I'll just get it from Nick."

Alay nodded. "See you guys."

Nick watched as she walked off to the counter. She was kind of…Cute. Nick set some kind of different smile on his face as he looked at her. Judy sensed it and broke him away from his thoughts.

"So since when have you tried to make friends?" Judy wondered. "It seems as if ever since Alay has shown up in your life, you suddenly want to make friends."

"Can I just not make friends?" Nick shot back. His remark sounded kind of snappy, but since what happened to them yesterday, Judy decided to ignore it. She didn't want to end up in another fight with him. Plus, Nick said that he wasn't feeling the best after his attack. He was still recovering.

"I don't mean it like that," Judy said. "I was just curious. Is it because she's a vixen?"

Nick face-palmed and sighed. "No, no it's not."

"Okay, okay," Judy replied. "I was just, you know…Wondering."

"Ah, okay," Nick winked. "So now are you ready to start our challenge?"

"Bring it on!" Judy smirked. She grabbed her cup and put the straw in front of her mouth. Nick did the same. Judy counted down, and on 1, they both began slurping away. Judy was slurping the fastest she had ever done before. The cold drink made her insides shiver, but she wasn't going to give up THAT easily. She tried to drink even faster. Nick noticed this and he tried drinking faster too.

"Ah! Brain-freeze!" Nick exclaimed. He rubbed his head (though it wouldn't help with anything) while drinking down the cold Frappuccino. Judy started laughing but spit out Frappuccino everywhere as she did. She tried to drink it all back up, but it was useless. Nick was almost already finished and she was only half way there.

"Well, that just proves that foxes are better than rabbits," a voice said. Judy and Nick saw Alay by their table.

"We never agreed on _better,_ " Judy snorted. "Just faster at drinking Frappuccinos."

"Hmm…" Alay grunted. "So Nick. How's work?"

"I-it's good," Nick replied. "Any reason to ask?"

"I was just trying to start a conversation," Alay explained. Then she looked at her watched on her wrist. "Oh, I've got to run. See you around!"

"Oh, I have no doubt that she will," Judy muttered when Alay left.

"What?" Nick asked.

"Oh, nothing."

"What's nothing?" Nick asked. "I want to know what you said."

"I said nothing, alright?!" Judy snapped.

"Hey, Judy! There's no need to act like this," Nick said. "I just want to know what you said. Obviously it wasn't something very nice."

"Nick, I-" Judy sighed. Nick looked at her.

"Judy, what's the big deal?" Some coldness came into Nick's eyes. That made Judy shiver and cringe. She did not want a replay of last night, but those eyes were those same, cold eyes that he gave her yesterday during their fight. Before anything could go worse, Judy explained.

"Remember when I said I thought Alay was suspicious to me?"

The coldness stayed in his eyes. Judy shivered again. She did not like this look. It made her feel super uncomfortable.

"I just find it suspicious that she's been running into us every day since you've met her," Judy sighed. "I don't…trust her."

"Because she's a fox?" Nick snapped.

"Nick, no…"

"The only reason you can trust me is because you know me. You actually know that you can trust me because we're friends. You know that I won't hurt you, even if I am a fox," Nick snarled. "But what do you think of any other foxes? You're still scared of them. You and I know that."

Nick stood up. "Just because I've made a friend other than you—who happens to be a fox—doesn't mean that you have to be scared of them. Of her. What can she do to you? Are foxes just that evil?"

Judy sat up tall. "Nick, it's not like that," she sniffed. "I have a friend back home named Gideon who happens to be a fox…"

"Is he really your friend? Or is he just someone you know?" Nick raised an eyebrow. "Because I think that we both know that I'm the only fox who you have ever or will ever befriend."

"Nick…"

"Just don't say anything, Judy," Nick sighed, burying his face in his paw. "Alay doesn't have to become a part in your life, but I want you to respect that she's a part in my life. Okay?"

Judy looked into Nick's dark green eyes. The coldness was still there, but is lessened. Judy nodded, still shivering. What was going on inside of Nick's head? Why was his face so angry looking over this conversation? Judy was just trying to say that she didn't trust Alay. She just wanted to look after Nick. She didn't want him to get hurt…

"Are we going?" Nick said. He held out his paw, waiting for Judy to take it. Judy was still nervous right now. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable around Nick with his coldness. Reluctantly, she took his paw, but it was shaking. Nick sensed that and felt that. _Did I scare her?_ He wondered. He felt kind of bad, but he had to clear things up with her.

On the walk back to her apartment, Judy shivered. She didn't dare look up at Nick. She felt too uncomfortable around him right now. Every time he spoke, she'd jump. Nick definitely sensed that and showed a little concern. But he probably didn't care that much.

Nick walked her to her apartment door. "See you tomorrow, Carrots? Yes? No?"

"Maybe," Judy replied, really not wanting to look Nick in the eye. She didn't want to admit it, but Nick was definitely scaring her right now. Remembering her nightmare again, she remembered how scary he was in it. Compared to this, her nightmare was by far scarier, but Nick was still giving her discomfort right now.

"I was planning to facetime my parents tomorrow," Judy replied. "Yeah."

"Okay, Hopps," Nick sighed. "Just…Sleep tight."

Judy nodded and closed her door on Nick without saying 'Goodnight' back.

##############################################################################

Nick was lying in bed that night, thinking. Did he scare Judy? But…how? What on earth did he do that'd scare her? He didn't want to screw things up like yesterday. He treasured Judy's friendship greatly. If he ever lost her for real, he didn't know what he would do.

Wait…Was Judy jealous of Alay? Did she think that his friendship with her would overtake theirs? That wouldn't ever happen…would it?

 _I need to be gentler with Judy,_ Nick told himself _. I don't want to scare my friend and hurt her. If I ever did that, I would regret it greatly._

With these last thoughts, Nick dozed off, vowing to keep an eye on Judy and to be gentler with her. If anything happened to her…if he hurt her somehow with actual cuts and bruises, he just might as well kill himself with her name on his lips. Truth be told, he didn't know exactly how he felt about Judy, but he sure did like the way their friendship was heading. Judy was one extraordinary bunny…

Before Nick knew it, he was asleep.

 **What did you think? Was it interesting? Are you curious to know what happens with Alay and Nick? I am too. xD Just keep reading and maybe you'll find out…**

 **PS. Sorry if there are grammar mistakes…We're all guilty of them. I was just too lazy to proof read this. ;P**


	7. Whatever happened to US?

**Here is chapter 7! Man, this is a long one! It took me a while to write, but I really do like this chapter. I hope that you do too. I really do appreciate Guest reviews too. So guest, so ahead and leave me some review! Don't feel shy! Reviews help me a lot!**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!  
**

**7**

 _Whatever happened to US?_

About a week later, Nick and Judy were walking to work. Judy still felt a little uncomfortable around Nick since their 2 arguments. But Nick was her friend and she wasn't going to show him that she was afraid, especially after their arguments.

"So, Carrots," Nick said. "I hear that the chief wants to talk to us."

"Y-yeah, he does," Judy stuttered. She didn't look up at Nick. She felt embarrassed by letting her inner fear control the timidness in her voice. She sure hoped that Nick wouldn't suspect anything. Luckily, he didn't. Or at least he didn't show it.

"I wonder what it's about, you know?" Nick spoke enthusiastically. He looked down at Judy with a bright, excited smile. Judy had no choice but to look up at him. She managed a real looking smile despite the discomfort that filled her.

When they entered the ZPD, Nick and Judy quickly raced to the outside of Chief Bogo's office. They were both excited and anxious to know what Chief Bogo wanted from them.

"So who knocks?" Nick asked. "Can I knock? Can I be the honorary knocker?"

Judy rolled her eyes and smiled. "Sure, whatever."

Nick set on his sly smile and knocked on the door. His tail swayed anxiously as he waiting for Chief Bogo to let them in.

"Come in," the chief finally said. Nick opened the door and let Judy walk in before he did. Quietly, Nick closed the door behind them and he climbed up onto a chair next to Judy. They looked at Chief Bogo with bright, energetic smiles on their faces.

"Officer Hopps and Officer Wilde," Chief Bogo said, clearing his throat. "I understand that lately you have been looking for more action with your job."

"Yes sir," Nick said. "We-"

Bogo cut him off. "I can't promise you anything yet, BUT! However, I want you looking out for speeders. There is this speeder on the loose that Officer Jerry and Officer Tod couldn't reach because they were both in different parts of the city."

Bogo went on. "I want you two to go and find this speeder and deal with him. Can you do that?"

"Oh, yes! Of course, sir!" Judy replied, trying not to sound too excited or else Bogo might give the job to someone else.

"I want you guys to start right away," Chief Bogo explained. "The speeder was last seen around Icy's Café."

Icy's Café was the café that Judy and Nick usually hung out at. "After leaving the café, they turned right on Paws Road and sped down that way. I want you to find this speeder quickly before any accidents happen."

"Yes sir!" Judy and Nick shouted in unison. They giggled on the inside for saying that at the same time, but Chief Bogo didn't seem to notice them trying to hold in their chuckles.

"You are excused from my office. Leave ASAP!"

Judy and Nick got off of their chairs and charged for the door. As they slipped out Bogo's office door, Judy accidently slammed the door closed.

"Judy Hopps!"

Judy cringed and slowly opened the door.

"Did you just slam my door, Officer Hopps?" Chief Bogo asked.

"N-no sir," Judy replied. "It was an accident."

Bogo sighed and shook his head, grumbling. "You can leave now, Officer Hopps. Hurry up with your assignment."

Judy nodded and closed the door, quietly this time. She found Nick waiting for her. Some shades were covering his eyes. Judy rolled her eyes, but she remembered that even though _she_ couldn't see Nick's eyes didn't mean that he couldn't see hers. Maybe his eyes were cold again, but she couldn't see it. Judy cringed at that thought and she instantly began to feel uncomfortable around her friend again.

"Come on, Carrots," Nick said. "Let's go! We've been waiting for ages to get into some action like this!"

"Y-yeah!" Judy stuttered. "I can't wait. Let's go!"

##############################################################################

"Down that road, Carrots!" Nick hissed, putting on a face of panic as Judy made a sharp turn.

"Gees, Hopps! Now we'll be the one getting tickets! Learn to drive!" Nick exclaimed, clutching onto a car handle. Judy was on the tail of their speeder, catching up pretty quickly. She thought that she had an idea where this animal was going, so it wouldn't be _too_ bad if they lost them.

"I'm _sorry!_ " Judy exclaimed. "But we can't lose them! We have to complete this mission!"

Judy stepped harder on the gas. Right now they were probably going 85 mph on the interstate. Judy put on a grim face as she clutched the driving wheel.

"They're switching lanes!" Nick shouted. Judy jerked their car into the same lane as the speeder. Their sirens wailed loudly. The speeder definitely knew that they were after them, but they refused to pull over.

"How are we going to get them to pull over?" Judy wondered, frustrated.

"Um…Do we shoot at their car?"

"Nick, you're no help right now!" Judy muttered. "This is no time for jokes. This is really frustrating."

"Okay, well you keep driving and I'll come up with something," Nick replied. "Just stay in their lane."

"Okay!" Judy snapped, narrowing her eyes as she pressed on the gas even harder. They jerked forwards. Nick jumped up along with the rest of the car as he clutched onto the handle even harder, the skin underneath his fur on his knuckles turning white.

"Um…How about I shoot one of their tires?" Nick suggested.

"But that could cause an accident!"

"Maybe if I jump onto their car I can stop them."

"Nick, we're not doing some stupid movie stunt! Think logical, okay?!"

Judy was really cross and stressed right then. She was trying to find out a way to get the speeder to pull over. Nick obviously wasn't helping at all.

"Here, I'll speak into the speaker and maybe a menacing voice will make them stop," Nick said.

"Or maybe it'd scare them off!"

"Carrots, we have to do something!"

"Well, then, what is it? None of your ideas our helpful!" Judy said. "They're just stupid stunts or tricks!"

"Tricks…tricks…" Nick thought hard. "That's it!"

"What's it?" Judy asked.

Nick didn't have time to explain. "Take this exit! Take it!"

"What? WHY?!"

"JUST TAKE IT BEFORE WE MISS IT!"

Judy didn't have time to argue. She did as Nick told her. Nick was a fox and foxes were cunning and crafty. Maybe this random idea of his would work—whatever it was.

Cars honked at them as they cut in front of others, but they had to respect this police chase!

"What's the plan, Nick?" Judy wondered.

"We can take a short cut and cut in front of the speeder. If we get in their way, then they'll just have to pull over! We can totally trick them."

"Nice thinking, Nick!" Judy said, smiling. "Where can we cut in front of them?"

"Turn right!"

Judy did so. She turned left out of exit and zoomed ahead, their sirens wailing louder. She put on an excited smirk as she listened to Nick's instructions.

"Turn left!"

"Here?"

"No. No! Not here! The NEXT left!"

Judy made another sharp turn, spinning the driving wheel as quickly as she could. She stepped on the gas and they shot forwards. Judy clenched her teeth as they picked up more speed. She was so determined to catch this speeder. She didn't get action like this very often.

"Now turn left again!"

"Here?"

"YES!"

This went on for about 5 minutes. Nick would tell Judy where to turn, Judy would listen intensely with a smirk on her face; they were making progress.

Finally, Nick and Judy hit the Interstate. Judy was so excited. They would totally catch this speeder!

"Now turn around," Nick said.

"But we'll be going in the wrong direction!"

"You don't think that I don't know that? The others will pull over and we will catch our speeder!" Nick replied. "GO ON!"

Nick's snap made Judy jump, but she listened and sped up. The other drivers most certainly did pull over to the side as they made their way to the speeder.

"That's their car! Up there!" Judy shouted, excitedly. "Come on, car. Drive faster!"

Nick held onto his handle as they advanced towards the car. Thankfully, the speeder stopped and jerked their car to the left to pull over. Judy slowly stepped on the brakes and parked next to the speeder. Judy felt really proud about herself. She and Nick had caught their speeder.

Judy and her partner jumped out of the car. Together, they walked up to the speeder's car. They were really surprised to see who walked over of the car (especially Nick.) It was Alay!

"Alay?" Nick asked, definitely not expecting this. He looked at Judy who gave him a stuffed up look as if she were telling him _'I told you she was suspicious and bad.'_

"Officer Hopps! Nick!" Alay panted. "I'm so sorry."

Judy definitely wasn't buying this, but before Judy could say anything, Nick put a paw in front of her.

"Let's hear what she has to say," Nick said. Judy grumbled, but she nodded.

"I-I was at Icy's Café when I got this strange call from someone. They introduced me as my brother's doctor. Apparently my brother is in the hospital. So I left the café and I was on my way to the hospital," Alay explained, still panting (probably because of how fast she was going.) "My brother has fatal injuries."

Judy raised an eyebrow, wondering if this was true or not. Foxes were cunning and tricky. They could really make you believe lies.

"I then got another phone call from his doctor saying that he may not make it…" Tears came to Alay's eyes. "I just need to see my brother one last time. So I sped up so I could make it to the hospital in time."

Slowly, Judy began to believe the story. Earlier, Judy thought that she knew where the speeder was heading, and that was the hospital. Her prediction was right and Alay really was on her way to the hospital. Now it was Nick's turn to give her the _See?-She's-just-an-ordinary,-friendly-vixen_ look.

"I'm real sorry, Alay," Judy said. "You get right back in your car. Nick and I will escort you to the hospital. We won't let anyone get in your way."

Alay put a hand over her heart as tears dripped out of her eyes. "Oh, thank you Officer."

"No problem. Now, get in the car!"

Alay did so. Nick and Judy raced into their car. Judy flipped on the sirens and began to drive forwards with Alay driving behind them.

"When will you stop doing that?" Nick asked.

"Doing what?"

"Judging foxes just because they're foxes," Nick snorted. "What's wrong with us? What did foxes ever do to you?"

Judy ignored Nick and kept her eyes on the road. She sped up even faster, going 95 mph. She was determined to get Alay to the hospital as quickly as she could.

"Why?" Nick asked again. There was coldness in his voice that Judy didn't like. She was used to cold looks (which were terrifying), but not cold tones. The cold tones seemed more blood chilling.

"I…" Judy had the words all in her head, but she didn't want to say them out loud. Mostly because she didn't exactly know how she felt about Nick. Also because she didn't know how Nick would take her answer.

"Can we just talk about this some other time?" Judy snapped.

"Sure, but don't think that I'll forget," Nick replied, the coldness slowly leaving his voice. _I sure hope that I didn't upset her. I'm supposed to be gentler with her…_

Judy ignored Nick for the rest of the ride there. Nick just flipped on some shades over his eyes and leaned up against his seat. He possibly could've been asleep. Judy didn't care. It was better if he didn't talk anyways.

Once they reached the hospital, Judy let Alay park in front the building. Hey, she was a police and she could do things like that.

"Here you go, Alay," Judy said. "I sure hope that your brother is okay."

"Thank you, Judy," Alay replied, tears on her face. "I sure hope that he is okay, too."

"I'm sure that he will be," Nick said. He walked up to Alay and pulled her into a hug. Judy felt a pang of jealousy there. She couldn't help it. Even though it was just a comforting hug, it seemed more than that.

"Thank you, Nick," Alay sighed. "I really should get in there and see my brother."

"What's his name?" Judy asked.

"Jake Flake," Alay said. "He's one sweet fox."

"You should really get going," Nick said.

"Of course," Alay spoke. She began to walk towards the front doors, but then she turned around. "Hey Nick, do you want to go hang out with me tomorrow night? That is, if my brother is any better."

"Sure thing," Nick said, setting a smile on his face. "See you, Alay."

As Nick and Judy walked back to their car, Judy couldn't help but to feel jealous again. He and Alay were going out together? Was it going to be a date? Nick just met her about 1 week and ½ ago and already they were going out together? Judy didn't like this…

"Let's get moving," Nick said. "I want to go home and sleep. I'm exhausted from our car chase."

"Poor Alay," Judy mumbled. "I hope that her brother is okay."

"Me too, Carrots," Nick replied. "Me too."

##############################################################################

The next day, Judy and Nick were excited to find out that Chief Bogo had a case for them to be working on. Judy got really happy and she skipped and danced around on their way back to their office.

"I take it that you're excited," Nick chuckled.

"Well, of course!" Judy exclaimed, a bright smile on her face. "Let's get the report from Clawhauser and let's go!"

Nick's phone buzzed. He grabbed it out of his pocket and found a text from Alay.

 _*Hey! Thanks for escorting me to the hospital last night. Jake is okay right now, so what do you think about going out tonight?*_

Nick smiled slyly and began to text Alay back.

 _*Sure! I'm glad that Jake is better. Where do you want to go tonight?*_

Once Nick finished sending that, he followed Judy up to Clawhauser's from counter. Judy looked really excited as she began talking to Clawhauser.

"Do you have the files for this case?" Judy asked.

"Yes I do," Clawhauser replied. He pulled out something from a bin in his desk and handed it to Judy. "This isn't as small as a case file as your first one. It has more information in it."

"Thanks," Judy said.

Nick's phone buzzed again.

 _*To dinner, maybe? I love that Italian restaurant down on Furry's Street.*_

Nick began to reply again.

 _*You mean Alfonso's Garden? I love that place too.*_

"Nick, why are you on your phone?" Judy asked, her foot thumping on the ground. Nick sighed and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"Sorry, I was just checking my texts," Nick replied. Judy rolled her eyes and looked through the case reports.

"So there was a robbery?" Nick asked, looking at it from over Judy's shoulder.

"It seems so," Judy replied. "Apparently this robbery happened a week ago, but the owner of the shop was too prideful to ask for help from the police. I guess that finally he had to have some help."

"Why would there be a report file for a robbery?" Nick wondered.

"Because there can be," Judy snorted. "The owner owns…Alfonso's Garden…"

 _Really?_ Nick thought to himself. _It just had to be this restaurant? The one that Alay and I will be going tonight? Oh well. At least I can make sure that it's safe for us tonight…_

"Okay, Carrots," Nick said. "Let's get going."

"Wait, I'm not done yet," Judy said. "The owner said that he's been hearing strange noises every afternoon when he leaves for his lunch break."

"But he wouldn't shut down the entire place just for his lunch break," Nick replied.

"Yes, that's true, but he leaves in the back entrance," Judy said. "The owner says that he can hear some strange noises behind him as he leaves."

"Well, let's get going, then," Nick said. "We can hide in the kitchen after he leaves and see if there is anything there."

"This seems like a fairly easy case," Clawhauser butted in. "You guys should get going."

"Of course," Judy said. "Come on, Nick. Let's get going. We should probably take a regular car there because we don't want this criminal to know that they're police around."

"Sure thing," Nick spoke. "Clawhauser, can we borrow your car?"

"Yeah, I guess," Clawhauser said. "Just don't wreck her."

"Don't worry, we won't," Judy promised.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Nick smirked. "Bunnies are such terrible drivers."

Judy frowned and kicked Nick in the side. "We are great drivers. We're better that foxes."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that…"

"Just take the keys," Clawhauser cut in. "I own the blue Honda that's parked behind this building."

"Thank you," Judy said, taking the keys from Clawhauser's paws. "We'll see you, Clawhauser."

"Good luck!" Clawhauser called back to the duo. Then he smiled and grabbed a doughnut and began to munch on it.

##############################################################################

 _*Okay, Alfonso's Garden it is! What time should we go?*_

Nick read his text from Alay while Judy and Nick were on their way to crack their case.

Nick replied: _*How about I pick you up at 7:00? What's your address?*_

"Nick, we're almost there, so put your phone down," Judy said.

"Okay, Carrots," Nick said. He was about to put his phone down when it buzzed once more.

 _*I live in the apartment on Paws Rd. My room number is 134.*_

Nick's reply: _*See you then. I have to go work on a case now, so please no more texting.*_

Judy parked the car in Alfonso's Garden's parking lot. Judy turned off the ignition and unbuckled herself. She and Nick got out of the Honda and made their way to the front doors. They walked in and saw that the restaurant was quite crowded with animals enjoying some lunch. They found a waitress and began to talk to her.

"Hello, Miss," Judy said. "I'm Officer Judy Hopps and this is Officer Nick Wilde. We're here to speak to your boss, the owner of this place."

"Oh, of course. Just follow me," the waitress said. She led them into the back of the kitchen. The owner was a leopard and he was cooking and tasting things.

"Hello, Mr.…" Judy began.

"Games. I'm Mr. Games," the leopard cut in. "I take it that you're the officers who are here to help me."

"Yes sir, we are," Nick said. "Apparently you've been hearing strange noises every time you leave for your lunch break."

"Yes," Mr. Games replied. "During lunch break, there are only 2 employees left here to take over the restaurant until the rest of us return from lunch. This thief—at least I think it is a thief—must be smart. When my two employees take over, he—or she—must know that they're too busy to notice anything, so they steal things.

"Every time I return from lunch, little things seem to be missing," Mr. Games said. "I need your help."

"That's what we're here for," Judy assured him.

"Yeah, but why would someone steal from a restaurant…?" Nick wondered. "I mean, what would they steal? Food?"

"I don't know," the leopard said. "Some animals are just stupid and steal stupid things like food when they really could just go and buy them at the store."

"Strange animals," Nick muttered. "Anyways, sir. We've got a plan."

"Really?" Mr. Games asked. "What is it?"

"We will hide somewhere in your kitchen and see who slips in through the door after you leave," Nick explained.

"You can go thinking that, but this criminal is smarter than you think," Mr. Games said. "You have to be quick."

"We're professionally trained," Judy said. "We can handle this."

"Says the cute little bunny in a police costume," the leopard muttered. Judy put on a face of disbelief and scoffed.

"Excuse me sir, but-"

Mr. Games cut her off. "We leave in 5 minutes, _Officer_ Hopps," he said. "You better get brain storming."

Judy glared at him angrily. When Mr. Games left, Judy looked up at Nick.

"Who does he think he is, insulting me like that?!" she growled.

"He's just prideful," Nick replied. "He doesn't want our help and he's trying to bring you down."

"Doesn't he know that we saved this city?" Judy shook her head. "He's unbelievable."

5 MINUTES LATER:

Nick and Judy were hiding beneath a counter, getting low to the ground. The light was turned off so that the thief couldn't seem them very well. The officers watched as Mr. Games walked out the back exit and watched carefully to see it something was there. Judy sensed something enter the building, but she couldn't see what it was. Nick smelled something odd and crawled out quietly from beneath the counter.

"Carrots, do you see anything?" Nick whispered as quietly as he could.

"Nothing," Judy whispered back. "But something is definitely here."

Then they heard a CRASH! Judy and Nick jumped up. Judy reached for the light switch and flipped on the light, but nothing was there. However, a bowl of pasta was flipped over. Nick got suspicious.

"Something was here and it still is here," Nick spoke quietly. "But what could be so fast as to do something like this and disappear?"

"I don't know," Judy said. She sniffed with her little bunny nose and smelled some odd scent. _Yep, something is_ definitely _here._

Judy searched around the room and looked up at the ceiling. Nothing there…And then she saw it. She saw him. His tail was wrapped around a hanging pole that pots and pans were hung up on. His fangs were just inches above Nick's head and he began hissing.

"NICK! WATCH OUT!" Judy shouted. Nick looking up and dropped to the ground as the fangs dove for him. Nick jumped back up, walking away from this thief.

"Oh my gosh, this snake almost killed me!" Nick exclaimed. He glared at the snake that was wrapped around the pole. "You are under arrest."

"If you can catch me," the snake hissed.

Judy face palmed. "How are we supposed to catch him if he doesn't have any arms to put hand cuffs on him?"

"Oh…right," Nick muttered. "Carrots, the gun! Use your tranquilizer!"

Judy grabbed her gun from her belt. She shot at the snake, but he was expecting that. He dropped down from the pole just in time and slithered after Nick.

"Oh gosh, oh gosh!" Nick exclaimed. "I hate snakes!"

He jumped up onto the counter as the snake looked up at him. He hissed and raced towards Judy. Judy didn't have time to use her gun. She let out a yelp and jumped up onto the counter with Nick. Nick growled at the snake. He was way too quick.

"We have to do something, Carrots," Nick said. "Try shooting again."

Judy tried, but the snake moved away just in time. Judy got frustrated.

"What am I supposed to do?" Judy asked. "How can we catch him?"

"You can't," the snake hissed, an evil smirk on his face. "You can't do anything."

Suddenly, an idea struck in Nick's head. He knew it would work.

"Hopps," he whispered to Judy. "Just keep on speaking like that. Keep getting stressed. I've got a plan."

Judy nodded and made a dramatic, but realistic stressed-out sigh. "Ugh! How can we catch him, Nick? We can't lose our job!"

"Stupid cop bunny, you cannot catch me. You're not quick enough."

Judy kept talking on and on while the snake laughed and replied to her frustrated outbursts. Once Nick saw that the snake's attention was all on Judy, he made his move. He leaped towards the snake, and before the snake could make any move, Nick's foot crushed the snake's head. He didn't crush it too hard that it'd make him knock out, but he crushed it enough to keep him from moving.

"Shoot now!" Nick exclaimed. Judy grabbed out her tranquilizer gun and shot the snake. Within moments, the snake was out. Nick stepped off of him, sighing.

"Phew! Good job, Carrots," Nick said.

"Good move," Judy said. "That was amazing, Nick. Awesome thinking."

"It's one of the gifts of being a fox," Nick winked. Judy giggled and helped Nick pick up the thief.

"I wonder what he was trying to steal, anyways," Nick said.

"I don't know. That's an interesting thought," Judy said. "Well, let's call Mr. Games, tell him that the _real_ cops caught his thief, and turn this guy in."

"I hear you," Nick said. He followed Judy and smiled to himself. _That was one heck of a good move…_

##############################################################################

Nick knocked on Alay's apartment door. He was excited and nervous. He was also exhausted from Judy's and his earlier case. When they turned the snake in, Chief Bogo said that he would try to find some more cases for them to work on. Nick was happy about that.

Alay opened the door. She looked stunning. While Nick was wearing a pair of nice khaki pants and an ironed, light blue polo shirt, Alay was wearing some nice jeans with a pretty pink top. Her fur was groomed nicely and her face applied just a bit of make-up.

"You look great," Nick complimented.

"So do you," Alay replied.

"Don't go saying that just to make me feel better," Nick chuckled.

"Oh no, but I mean it," Alay said, a cute smile spread across her face. "Are we ready to go?"

Nick nodded. "Of course."

The both walked down to the front of the apartment building. Nick decided to bring a police car to impress Alay with. Alay sure did like the idea of riding in that.

"Oh, wow," she said. "Do we really get to ride in here?"

"Yep," Nick replied.

"So, am I the prisoner?" Alay asked, giving Nick a wink. "Do I need to sit in the back with handcuffs?"

Nick chuckled. "Yeah," he teased. Alay giggled along. Nick walked up to the passenger side door and opened it up for Alay.

"After you," he said.

"Thank you," Alay said, climbing in. Nick walked around on the other side and climbed into the driver's seat. He started the car and started to drive off.

"So, why the police car?" Alay wondered.

"What? Is the police car not good enough for you?" Nick teased.

"Oh, it's totally not," Alay said, playing along. "It's kind of falling apart, you see. Especially my seat. It's all chipping and…"

Nick was already laughing before she could finish her sentence.

"This is why I brought it," Nick said. He turned on the police car sirens and cut in front of other cars as they pulled over. He ran through a red light and then turned his sirens off. Alay looked at him with her mouth wide open.

"You sly dog!" she exclaimed, a smile slowly growing on her face. Nick laughed at Alay's face expression.

"Hey, we'll get there faster that way, right?"

Alay laughed loudly. "Right."

About 5 minutes later, they were parked at the restaurant. They were seated at a nice little table and the waitress from earlier was to serve their table.

"Hello Officer," the waitress said. "I'm glad to see you back for a second time today."

"You were here today already?" Alay wondered. Nick nodded and told her about their case. Then they ordered some drinks. Alay got a sweet tea and Nick got a beer.

Before talking, they searched through their menu and found a meal for themselves.

"So, Nick," Alay spoke. "Tell me about yourself."

"Let's see…" Nick thought. "I work for the ZPD, Judy Hopps is my partner and best friend…I have a pretty average life. I don't really have any hobbies, except for—I guess—cracking cases."  
"Well then, tell me about your past," Alay said.

"You really don't want to hear about that," Nick said, chuckling nervously.

"But I do," Alay replied. "I will tell you about mine."

Nick sighed and began to tell her from the time her got muzzled, up to when he met Judy. Alay listened closely and nearly cried when he told her about the time when he wanted to be a junior scout and then he got muzzled.

"I'm really sorry, Nick," Alay said softly.

"It was in the past," Nick shrugged. "I just ignore it mostly. I told myself to never let anybody see that they get to me. That's kind of what I live off by."

"So…" Nick went on. "What about you? What's your past like?"

"Well," Alay began. "I grew up in the snow district. My best friend was a moose named Ellie. Ellie was kind of a misfit in our group. Our group was mostly filled with predators or smaller animals. Ellie was kind of bigger than most of us. Some people in our group were scared of her height. I still wonder why, though. She was prey, not a predator.

"Once we hit high school, I became a popular girl. I had good grades, I had good style, and I guess animals found me cool. One day, a group of good-girls came up to me and made fun of me for hanging out with Ellie. Some of the things were hurtful, especially since Ellie was right next to me as they made fun of her. And then they offered me to join their group. That was always my dream when I was younger: to be part of the good-girl group. I really just couldn't resist, so I dumped Ellie for that group. I realized a few weeks later that that was a huge mistake…"

"I'm sorry, Alay," Nick said.

"Oh, don't be," Alay said. "Later I dumped the good-girls. They were nothing but gossip lovers who loved to make animals feel bad. They even began to do it to Ellie, and that's when I left. I found Ellie and tried to be friends with her again, but she never forgave me. So I found a German Shepherd named Diana and we suddenly just clicked.

"Diana and I are still friends today," Alay explained. "Actually, unfortunately and fortunately, I'm leaving tomorrow to go and see her. I may be staying there for a few months because there may be a job for me there."

"Are you?" Nick asked. "What job?"

"I don't know yet, but Diana said that I'd like this job," Alay replied. "So I really just wanted to go out with you before I left."

"I sure hope that you don't stay gone for too long," Nick said.

"Me neither," Alay said. "I really love this place, but I do also miss my home town."

Then their waitress walked up to their table.

"Are you ready to order?" the waitress asked.

Nick nodded. "Yeah."

##############################################################################

 _Nick was in Judy's front yard with her back at her hometown, Bunnyburrow. They were having a nice time until suddenly, Nick snapped. Something in him just made him lose all of control. He began growling viciously and he slowly turned his head to look at Judy. His pupils were tiny dots and his green eyes were piercing with coldness. Judy shivered._

" _Not again," she whispered. She scampered up to her feet, looking down at Nick who was down on all fours, stalking towards her. Judy backed up and she looked into Nick's eyes. They once were friendly, but now…There was no word to describe how terrifying his eyes were. Judy began to cry, knowing hers and Nick's fate._

" _Nick, why do you have to do this?" Judy asked, the tears falling from her eyes. "Come back to me, Nick. Come back. I-I...I lo-"_

 _Nick jumped at Judy and pinned her up against a tree with his paws on her throat. Judy took one last gulp of air before Nick dived for her throat and began to tear her flesh apart…_

Judy woke up and screamed. She grabbed her throat with her paws, expecting to feel blood there. That nightmare was terrifying and it made her shake. Why were these nightmares haunting her? What did they mean?

Judy couldn't be brave any longer. She began to break down and sob. She brought her knees up to her face and sobbed into them. Why? Why?! Why did these nightmares have to ruin her sleep? And why were they always about Nick?

Judy was nearly crying her heart out. What made her cry harder was the fact that Nick wasn't even here to comfort her like he was when she usually cried. And it was impossible for him to do that anyways. He was on a date with Alay. A pang of jealously flew through Judy's body. Yes, she was jealous of Nick and Alay being together. Judy wanted Nick all to herself, no matter how selfish and childish that was. Nick and her were supposed to have a special, unique friendship, and now Nick was on a date with someone who he hardly knew? What was going to happen to them? What about Nick and her? They were partners and best friends. Was Nick's friendship with Alay going to overtake her friendship with Nick?

Judy wiped her tears and sighed. She picked up her phone and looked at the time. It was only 11:00 p.m. She couldn't sleep and her parents would still probably be up. She never facetimed them that one time Judy told Nick that she was going to. So she dialed their number and waited for them to pick up.

"Judy?"

Judy saw her mom's, Bonnie's, face. Bonnie let a smile grow across her face.

"Judy, how are you?" Bonnie asked.

"Pretty good," Judy replied. She definitely did not want to tell her mom about her nightmares. Her parents were pretty overprotective.

"Where's Dad?" Judy wondered.

"He's right over here," Bonnie replied. "Hey Stu! Judy is on the phone!"

Judy saw Stu's face appear on her screen.

"Hey Jude the Dude," Stu, her dad, winked. "How's life been treating you?"

"Pretty good," Judy replied. "How about you guys? How are you?"

"We're doing great," Bonnie said. "Except…we're missing you."

"We really are," Stu said. "Especially your 200+ siblings."

Judy giggled. "I'm sure that they are," she said, a smile on her face. She was so happy to see her parents' faces again. They were so happy and loving. Why did she ever leave them? _To be a Police Officer of course, silly,_ Judy told herself.

"Judy, your mom and I have been talking things over…" Stu said. "We were wondering if you'd like to take off some time and visit us."

"Really?" Judy said. "That would be great! I'd just have to talk with Chief Bogo and see if he can give me some time off. I'm kind of busy recently. Just these past 2 days there were cases that my partner, Officer Nick Wilde, and I have been solving."

"Really?" Stu said. "What did you do today?"

"We stopped a robbery," Judy replied. "The thief was a snake."

Bonnie gasped. "A snake?!"

Judy replied. "That's right. Nick Wilde had this brilliant plan on how to arrest him. It was tricky, but we got it down."

"And this Nick Wilde…You've mentioned him before," Stu said. "What's he like?"

"Or do you mean what kind of animal is he?" Judy asked. "I've told you before that he's a fox, but he's a good fox. Really. Nick is my best friend."

"Oh," Bonnie spoke, sounding shocked. "Well, you tell us when you can come and visit us. I'm sorry that we have to go so soon, but your youngest sibling—Odie, is it?—just woke up. We have to put him to bed."

"I understand," Judy replied. "What if I call you tomorrow after I get back from work?"

"Yes, yes. Do that," Stu cut in. "We really have to go. Odie is screaming. We'll see you later, Judy! Love you!"

Before Judy could say anything else, the facetime ended. "Love you too…" Judy muttered. She pouted and sighed. She never thought that she'd miss her parents like this before. They were so supportive and overprotective at the same time. She wished that they could talk longer.

Judy climbed back into bed. Now that she spoke with her parents, she could go to sleep. But Judy stared up at the dark ceiling for countless hours. Sleep never came.

 **So, did you like this chapter? It sure did take me awhile to write this, so…yeah. Please post a review and I'll be on my way with another chapter soon!  
**

**Audios!**


	8. Jealousy

**Hey, this is a shorter chapter, but it's pretty good. (At least I think so.) Thank you guests for reviewing. I do appreciate it, and even criticizing it helps me write it better. So please, guests, continue to review.**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

 **8**

 _Jealousy_

"Nick Wilde! Get your fuzzy butt out of bed and report to Chief Bogo!"

Nick gasped and jumped up in bed, panting. He saw Judy stand by his bed side, her brow furrowed and her foot thumping crossly. Nick knew that this was not a good way to start the day with his partner.

"Hey, Carrots," Nick said, chuckling nervously. THWACK! Judy slammed her paw down on Nick's head, angrily. Nick rubbed his head and moaned.

"HEY!" he growled. Judy stepped back from Nick's snarl; the loud outburst made her jump. But then again, Nick was a little angry from waking up so early.

"Get dressed, Officer Wilde!" Judy snorted. "I want to see you out of your apartment door in at least 5 minutes!"

Judy left his bedroom door and Nick grumbled beneath his breath. He dragged himself out of bed and found his police uniform lying on the ground. _Judy is definitely going to throw a fit,_ he sighed to himself.

While he was combing his fur, he began wondering why he woke up so late. Okay, it wasn't _that_ late—like that one day Judy woke up super late a few weeks ago—but it was still late enough for Judy. Maybe it was because of his date with Alay. _Oh, Alay,_ Nick thought to himself, barely noticing the dreamy smile spread across his face. She was one heck of a pretty vixen…Nick sure did have a wonderful time with her last night…

Nick slipped out his front apartment door and met Judy there. She didn't look so pleased with him.

"How slow was I this time?" Nick wondered.

"5 minutes and 45.6 seconds!" Judy snapped. "How slow can you get?"

Nick chuckled on the inside. So he went 45 seconds over. Was that really a big deal? _Well, apparently it is to Officer Hopps,_ Nick thought to himself as he smirked.

"Why is your face like that?" Judy asked.

"Like what?" Nick asked, oblivious to the fact that his smirk wasn't only showing on his inside.

"Why are you smirking?" Judy raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, I, uh…Thought of something funny," Nick replied.

"Was it me?"

Nick nodded.

Judy rolled her eyes and walked forwards. "Come on," she sniffed. Then she turned back to look at him. "And tonight you ARE washing your uniform. It looks all wrinkled and it stinks."

"Yes ma'am," Nick winked. Judy rolled her eyes once more and walked into the elevator with Nick following right behind her. _Why am I being to stuck-up towards him?_ Judy asked herself. _Just last night I was crying since he wasn't with me, and now that he is, I'm just a snotty jerk. I shouldn't be like this, even if he did wake up late…_

Once the duo was on the streets of Zootopia, Judy decided to ask Nick about his night.

"So, how was last night?" Judy wondered, trying to sound casual. The thing was, Judy was terrified to hear Nick's reply. Did Nick and Alay develop a strong friendship over their date? Yes, Judy was glad that Nick was trying to be more social with others, but it was only Alay who he was being friendly towards. Did he not realize how suspicious Alay was? Yes, she was happy that Nick was finding a girl of his own, but did it have to be Alay? She wished that it was anyone other than Alay.

"Oh last night was wonderful," Nick replied, honestly, his snout forming into a dreamy smile.

"What did you guys do?" Judy asked.

"We went to Alfonso's Garden," Nick said. "Alay and I just kind of talked. But man, is she one hot vixen."

Judy didn't expect Nick to say anything like that so soon. She would've had her mouth gaped open, but Nick was around and she didn't want him to see her like that.

"O-oh," Judy stuttered. "I see. Are you, um…going out with her again soon?"

"Unfortunately, no," Nick responded. "She's leaving this part of Zootopia for a while."

Judy felt a bit relieved. _Good, Nick won't see Alay too soon,_ Judy sighed to herself. But then one question popped inside of her head. She really didn't want to ask it, but she knew that she probably should…She didn't know exactly _why_ she should, but something told her to ask it.

"Did you two kiss?"

Nick looked back at her. Judy looked at him and she was afraid that she now offended him with this question. She didn't want that, but she couldn't help but ask the question.

Nick then smiled. "Yeah, we did," he replied. "It wasn't my first kiss, but it was the first kiss that counted and mattered to me."

Judy felt as if her heart stopped. Nick, her partner, her best friend, kissed some arctic vixen who was acting quite suspicious to Judy? Judy almost wanted to cry. If they kissed, then that meant that they were boyfriend and girlfriend. And if that happened, then their friendship would overgrow the one that Judy had with Nick. Judy fought hard to fight back her upcoming tears. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying. Right now, she was beating the tears.

"Well, I-I'm happy for you, Nick." Judy literally forced those words out of her mouth. Nick looked down at her and she also forced a smile. She hoped that it looked realistic. _How am I going to tell him?_ She wondered. _How am I going to tell him that Alay isn't the fox who he thinks she is? If I tell him 'she's suspicious' he'd go on about how he thinks that I think that foxes are evil—which I really don't. I don't know exactly what's suspicious about her, but there's definitely something wrong with her._

"Carrots, pay attention," Nick spoke. "We're about to cross the street."

"Oh, right," Judy said. As the 2 of them crossed the street, Nick began to think about his date with Alay. _She really does remind me of Mom,_ he told himself. _She's got that same kind of attitude that Dad told me that Mom had when she was younger…And those blue eyes...Man, those blue eyes that Alay has are something else. They're kind of like my…_

Nick was yanked away from his thoughts when he and Judy entered the ZPD. Clawhauser informed them that Chief Bogo wanted them in the meeting room. He said that Chief Bogo had an assignment for them. Judy got really excited and raced towards the meeting room. Nick followed behind her, checking his phone. He got a text from Alay.

Alay: _Hey Nick. Good morning! On your way to work? 3 3_

Nick: _Yeah, I'm at work now so I can't text you. I will when I'm on break, though. I hope that your trip to the snow district is safe!_

Nick slipped his phone into his pocket and sat down in his seat next to Judy. Chief Bogo looked down at the officers as they were chatting loudly. Nick just day dreamed about Alay, barely able to focus on Bogo.

"Morning Officers," Chief Bogo greeted. "Officer Hopps and Officer Nick, welcome back to some action."

Nick finally awoke from his day dream and smiled at the chief. Judy had an excited grin on her muzzle. She looked really happy to be getting back into some butt-kicking action.

Chief Bogo began assigning different Officers to different jobs. Judy and Nick waited patiently for Chief Bogo to call on them for a job.

"I wonder what we're going to be assigned to," Nick whispered to Judy.

"Anything would be great," Judy whispered back. "Yesterday was the best day in a long time. Though that snake did scare me…"

"Just like foxes do?"

"Nick…" Judy looked at him. She was about to say more, but then the chief called on them. Judy and Nick put their full attention on Chief Bogo. He looked at them and snorted.

"Were you two being disrespectful?" he asked.

"No, sir. Not at all," Judy replied.

"Hmm…" Bogo looked down at his papers. "I want you two to go to the Desert District and look out for speeders."

"Cool," Nick replied. Judy slid off of her chair and walked up to Chief Bogo.

"What part do you want us to start at?" Judy wondered.

"Just start on Mammal Street," Bogo replied. "If you see or hear about any trouble on any other streets, go check it out."

"Of course," Nick replied, walking up next to Judy. "We should leave, right Fluff?"

Judy shot him a look. This was no time to call her names, especially right in front of their chief.

"Go on, Officer Wilde and Officer Hops," Chief Bogo said. "You guys should be back by one o'clock to have your lunch and then I want you right back out there again."

"Yes sir," Judy said, smiling. "Come on Nick. Let's go."

"I'm right behind you, Carrots," Nick replied, his cute sly smile on his muzzle. _I can't think about that_ , Judy told herself. _I can't have feelings for Nick. I mean, I don't even think that I ever would…We're just friends. Plus, unfortunately, he's already taken by Alay. But why Alay?_

Nick and Judy got some keys from Clawhauser for one of the police cars. It happened to be the car that Nick took Alay in the night before. Nick twirled the keys on his finger and opened up the passenger door for Judy. Judy thanked him and climbed in, setting herself comfortably in the seat. She pulled the seatbelt over her and buckled it.

Nick turned the ignition and put the car in reverse. He slowly stepped on the gas pedal as they backed out of their parking spot. Putting it back forwards, Nick pressed harder on the gas as they drove forwards.

"So, I see that now you've decided to drive," Judy said, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, you can have a break sometimes," Nick replied, winking at her. Judy shook her head with a smile on her face. She loved Nick's company and the friendship that they had. But she reminded herself that things would soon change since Alay was entering Nick's life. There was nothing that Judy could do to stop that now. If Nick kissed her, then she knew that there was no hope for their friendship. But at least Alay would be gone for a while…

Judy looked ahead and noticed the white fox from behind. She was on the side walk, dragging a suitcase behind her. She was wearing a light blue shirt and denim capris. Her fur was groomed nicely. Judy wished that she had that grooming talent.

Nick honked the horn of the police car and smiled. Alay turned around and waved at Nick, a beautiful smile on her face. Nick slowly caught up to her and drove slowly beside her. He rolled down his window and winked.

"Need a ride to the train station, Ms. Flake?" Nick asked.

"Nick!" Judy hissed. "We don't have time to drive her there. We need to get to the Desert District!"

"Officer Hopps is right," Alay replied, flashing a smile. Judy felt embarrassed that the vixen heard her. Nick would probably give her 'The talk' after this.

"Are you sure, Alay?" Nick wondered. "I mean, it's not so far away."

"No, you need to get to work, Mister," Alay said, walking up to Nick's window. She poked his nose and grinned. "Don't get this little girl going."

"I'm not a little girl!" Judy snapped.

"Oh, sorry, Officer Hopps," Alay said. "But I wasn't referring to you."

Judy's ears drooped. Now she was flirting with Nick? And in front of her? Judy tried not to look at the two foxes.

"Hey, I really don't mind taking-"

"What did I just say?" Alay asked, the sweet smile still on her lips. Nick chuckled.

"Okay, okay," Nick said. "You win. But be safe."

"Don't worry, Nicky. I will."

And then Judy saw it. She really didn't want to, but she did. Nick leaned forwards and Alay leaned in. Their lips touched for a moment before Alay pulled away.

"See you around, Nicky," she replied, walking off and waving. Judy sat quietly, thinking back on that moment that she just witnessed. Nick and Alay's friendship was definitely growing…If they weren't afraid to kiss in front of her a day after their first date…Judy didn't like this at all. Nick needed to stop seeing her. Something was wrong, and Judy could sense that. But could Nick? What if he also sensed something wrong with his new girlfriend? What if he just ignored it just because he _wanted_ Alay? And also, he let Alay call him 'Nicky' and he gave Judy the look whenever she called him that?

"Officer Judy Hopps."

Judy looked over to see Nick looking at her. She challenged his upset gaze, not caring about a single thing in the world expect for beating Nick at his little staring contest.

"Officer Nick Wilde," Judy snapped back.

"Do you really have to be such a jerk like that?" Nick growled.

"I'm only following Chief Bogo's orders; meanwhile you're just kissing on the job!"

Nick opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out of his mouth. Judy had definitely stumped him. She was right. He did stop to kiss his new girlfriend…But was Judy jealous?

"Okay, Carrots," Nick sighed. "Let's just go do our job."

##############################################################################

"Hey, that guy is going pretty fast, don't you think?" Nick asked.

"No, he was perfectly fine," Judy replied. She was still upset with Nick. Judy normally wasn't one to hold a grudge, but right now she definitely was holding one.

"Carrots, I'm going to get us some water," Nick said, stepping out of the police car. "This heat is making me really thirsty."

"Okay, Wilde," Judy replied. "But make sure you're quick."

"Don't worry," Nick said. "I'll just go into that gas station right there and buy us two bottles of water. Trust me when I say that it'll be less than 5 minutes."

"Okay," Judy mumbled, crossing her arms. Nick ignored her attitude and shut his door. Judy watched him walk off and began to think. She thought a million times about how slowly their deep friendship would die just because of Alay. Alay wasn't who Nick thought she was. Something was up with her. She could be a criminal. This made Judy think…She should look at Alay's records! That would surely help this mystery. She could find out who Alay was. She would do that when she got back to the ZPD.

Judy waited patiently for Nick to return with their water. She _was_ getting thirsty. Come to think of it, it had been more than 5 minutes. It was probably about 8 minutes. Maybe the line was just long…Judy decided that she better go check on him anyways.

Judy grabbed the keys and stepped out of the car. She locked the police car and walked towards the gas station market. When she stepped inside of the building, she felt cool air conditioning hit her fur coat. It felt really good.

"Nick?" Judy called. He wasn't in the line for checking out. In fact, there wasn't a line. Judy got a little worried. She looked through some isles and searched for her partner. She finally found him on his knees with his back to her. Two bottles of water were beside him on the ground and he was clutching the isle shelf until his knuckles turned white.

"Nick!" Judy exclaimed, taking one step closer. "Are you hurt, Nick? Nick, what happened?"

Nick didn't speak or turn around. He just kneeled their as his muscles tensed and his knuckles grew whiter. Judy got frightened.

"N-Nick?" she asked, her voice shaky. Finally, and slowly, Nick turned around towards her. His pupils were tiny black dots and his muzzle was wrinkled up. His lips vibrated as he growled lowly.

"N-Nick?" Judy asked. It was just like in her nightmare. But this time, he didn't move. At least not yet. He just looked at Judy as if he were studying her before making his move. Then he got to his feet and glared at Judy with his savage eyes. Judy stared in fear as Nick stalked towards her. She froze completely as she realized what was going on with Nick. It was happening.

 **Muahahaha! A cliffhanger! I'm just so evil. :) But I promised someone that I'd make this chapter a cliffhanger (usually I'm a master at cliffhangers with my other stories. Just ask LilyTheNinjaGirl) at the end, so I will leave ya'll on the cliff until I update again! What's going to happen? I'm not spoiling anything, so don't go asking. ;)**

 **Until the next!**

 **PS. Sorry if there are grammar mistakes. I was too lazy to proof read this…again.**


	9. Confusion

**Hey guys! Here's your chapter 9! Remembering that last one was a cliffhanger, I'm pretty sure that you're excited for an update! So I hope that you guys really like this one! It was fun to write!  
**

**Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

 **9**

 _Confusion_

Nick jumped back. What was he doing? Why were his claws unsheathed as if they were ready to strike something or someone…? _No, no, not again!_ Nick whined to himself. Again, he lost control and leapt for Judy. Judy let out a scream and jumped back. She watched as Nick fought against himself to keep his own control. For a second, Nick returned back to himself and he panted heavily.

"N-Nick?" Judy stuttered, obviously confused by what was going on. Nick looked at her with pleading eyes before his savageness took over him again. He began to growl lowly as he stretched his paw out and swiped. His claws were meant to meet Judy's skin, but she stumbled backwards, landing on her butt. Her nose twitched wildly as she watched Nick fight against himself. She was surprised that nobody heard what was going on. It was probably good too.

"Nick! It's okay!" Judy whimpered, a few tear drops spilling out of her eyes. "Nobody is going to hurt you. Come back to me."

Nick grabbed his head in his paws and shook his head. His growls were soon replaced with confused grunts and whimpers. He looked at Judy with his beautiful, warm green eyes. Judy felt relieved. She knew that Nick was back, but this was almost like her nightmare! It frightened her terrible. She began shaking nonstop as she looked at Nick (who was terribly confused with himself.)  
"C-Carrots?" Nick asked. He looked at his paws and he saw his claws sticking out. He gasped and slowly looked up at Judy.

"Ju-"

"Nick, d-don't say anything," Judy replied. "You didn't hurt me."

"But I could have," Nick said, his voice faltering.

"But you didn't!" Judy snapped, realizing that now wasn't the best time to argue with Nick. She didn't want to upset him and cause what had happened just moments ago.

"What happened to me?" Nick asked. "I felt something change within me, but…"

"I-I don't know, Nick," Judy said. "But I'm sure that it's nothing…"

"Nothing? Nothing?!" Nick growled. "I could've killed you!"

"Nick, stay calm," Judy whispered. "You didn't even touch me. I'm okay. You're okay."

"I'm not so sure about that," Nick muttered. He walked over to Judy and held out his paw for her to take. Judy flinched back when seeing Nick's claws. She still felt an after effect of fear in her. She really didn't feel safe around Nick.

"Hmm? Oh," Nick grunted, sheathing his claws. He held out his paw again and gave Judy a nervous smile. Judy didn't know if she should take his paw or not. She didn't want him to attack or go crazy again. Reluctantly, she gave in and took his paw. It was sweaty and sticky. Or maybe that was just her paw…

"You don't trust me?" Nick asked. Judy looked into his eyes. They weren't cold…They were almost pleading. Judy had to be honest.

"No, not right now," Judy admitted. "You scared me really badly. I don't know what happened to you. You scared the living daylight out of me."

"Is there any daylight in you anyways?" Nick smirked. Judy didn't feel amused, instead she shivered. "Judy, we should go to the hospital. Something has been upsetting me for a while and this attack might have to do something with it."

"Okay, Nick," Judy replied, giving him a real smile. "I think that that'd be best for you."

"I do to," Nick said. "Just…you have to drive. I don't want to…you know…"

"I know," Judy smiled. "Should I call Chief Bogo and tell him?"

"Yeah," Nick replied. "You can do that while I purchase our water."

"I forgot about the water."

"I bet that you're thirsty now since I've mentioned it," Nick winked. Judy gave a little giggle.

"Okay, Nick," Judy said. "You do that. But…"

"Be safe?" Nick finished for her, shrugging his shoulders. Judy nodded.

"I guess that's how you'd say it," she spoke. "I'll be right back. You find me when you're done buying our water."

"Okee-dokee," Nick barked.

Judy pushed through the front doors of the little market and made her way to the police car. She unlocked the car and opened the driver's-seat door. She set herself down on the leather seat. It was hot from the heat outside. She breathed heavily. It was very humid out there in the desert district.

Judy grabbed her phone (which was roasting in the car) and dialed down Chief Bogo's number. She put the phone to her ear as she listened to her phone ring. Finally, Chief Bogo picked up.

" _Officer Hopps?_ " came the voice.

"Er, yes sir," Judy spoke. "I thought it'd be best to tell you that I have to run Nick up to the hospital."

" _Why? Did he get hurt on the job? Is he wounded terribly_?" Chief Bogo tried his hardest to NOT show concern in his voice, but Judy could sense it in there.

"No sir," she said. "He's not necessarily hurt…Something has been bothering him for a while and he just had an incident. He said that he should have a checkup."

" _Alright then,_ " Chief Bogo grunted. " _Just try to make it back to headquarters for lunch._ "

"Yes sir. Thank you, Chief."

Judy sighed and hung up her phone. She glanced out her window and saw Nick walking towards the car with water in his paws. Judy rolled down the window and shouted out to him, "Hurry up! I'm baking in here!"

Nick set on his sly smile—as if nothing ever happened—and he pulled upon the car door. He climbed into the passenger seat and handed Judy a water bottle. She twisted off the lid and gulped down the cool liquid.

"Thanks, Nick," she said, wiping her mouth off with the back of her paw. "Ready to go?"

"Yep, I'm ready," Nick said, taking a sip of his water. "Best be on our way."

##############################################################################

"Mister Nick Wilde."

Judy and Nick looked over at the woman at the desk. They were in the hospital, waiting about half an hour for Nick's appointment. Nick and Judy stood up and walked up to the desk.

"That's me," Nick sighed.

"Doctor Barns is ready to see you," the woman explained. "He's in room 250. It's a door down the hallway on the left."

"Thank you," Nick replied. He looked down at Judy, but she wasn't beside him. She was already walking towards the hallway. Nick slowly followed her. He sure wasn't feeling too well right now. He was dizzy and tired.

"Come on, Nick," Judy said. "We don't want to keep Doctor Barns waiting."

"I'm right behind you, Cottontail."

"Actually, you're a few feet away from me," Judy grinned. Nick managed a little smile despite his exhaustion. He picked up the pace and soon enough he was by Judy's little bunny side. She looked cute below him. Her eyes were taking in everything that she saw, almost as if she was a little toddler who was curious about everything.

They reach room 250. Judy didn't hesitate to knock. They heard a faint, "Come in!" Judy looked up at Nick.

"You ready, partner?" she wondered. Nick shrugged.

"I guess," Nick replied. "I hope that things go well."

"They will, don't you worry, Nick."

Judy pushed open the door and Nick and she walked into the room. Doctor Barns was sitting down at a table, looking at his laptop. He was a Honey Badger. He looked up at Nick and Judy and he gave them a friendly smile.

"Which one of you is Mister Wilde?" Doctor Barns winked. Nick let a smirk grow on his face.

"That would be this little bunny right here," Nick played along. Doctor Barns chuckled.

"I see. That bunny most certainly IS a mister," he teased. Judy blushed and looked up at Nick for help. But he seemed to like this joke a lot.

"Don't let _his_ looks fool ya," Nick said. " _He's_ fooled a lot of animals before."

"Oh, I bet that you're right," Doctor Barns chuckled. "Bring _him_ over here."

Judy smiled. "Sorry to ruin this joke, sir, but this is no time to mess around. I need you to check on my friend here, Nick Wilde."

Doctor Barns nodded. "Of course, dear," he said. "We were only just messing around."

"Please, sit down," Doctor Barns instructed. Judy and Nick set themselves into 2 chairs that we across from Doctor Barns.

"What seems to be the problem, Nick?" Doctor Barns wondered. "Oh, is it okay if I just called you Nick?"

"'Course," Nick replied. "As long as I can call you 'Doc.'"

"Deal."

"Well, sir," Nick began. "A few weeks ago, I was attacked by a bear that I had arrested…"

"Oh, yes, him," Doctor Barns said. "I'm working on him right now."

"Oh, that's nice to know," Nick said. "Anyways, after the attack, I started to feel a little strange. I figured that it wasn't anything that big, but it turned out to maybe cause some incident that I had today."

"What symptoms were you getting?" Doctor Barns asked.

"Well, Doc, I would get dizzy a lot as if I were going to pass out," Nick said. "I actually feel like that right now. I would get moody too, sometimes. Today I seemed to almost go savage."

"Nick, why didn't you tell me about this?" Judy whispered. Nick shrugged and turned his attention back to the doctor.

"Well, Nick. I'll have to run a blood sample on you and test that out. It may take me a few days to get back to you on it—maybe even weeks—but before we do this, I think that the bear has infected you in some way," Doctor Barns spoke. "I don't think that you'll completely catch what he has, but I think that you've been infected in a little way.

"What Mr. Jaws—the bear—has is no Night Howler incident. We've tried the Night Howler antidote on him, but it doesn't seem to be working. This is something new that we haven't ever seen before. We are currently working on the cure and we hope that Jaws returns back to normal soon."

"So, it won't infect me a lot, right?" Nick asked.

"I don't think so," Doctor Barns said. "I think that you may get little attacks like you did earlier today, but I'm pretty sure that it'll go away.

"And Judy."

"Yeah?" Judy wondered.

"Not meaning to make Nick feel helpless, but I want you to look out for him if he's acting strange as if he's about to go into an attack."

"Yes, Doc," Judy replied. "I will certainly do that."

Judy looked up at Nick and smiled at him. Nick gave her a tired smile and yawned.

"Well, I have to prick your finger," Doctor Barns said, standing up.

"Um…Okay…" Nick said. He really didn't like the idea of pricking fingers. Call him a wimp, but it hurt. A lot.

"Over here, Nick," Doctor Barns said, walking over to some of his equipment. Nick rose from his chair and followed the doctor over to that part of the room. Judy decided to watch his finger pricking. She had to urge to video tape this with her phone, so she grabbed it out of her pocket and began the video.

"Okay, Nick," Doctor Barns said, grabbing a needle. "Let me see your finger."

Nick looked at it as if he were never going to see it again. "Well, finger. I guess this is goodbye," Nick mumbled. He looked up at the doctor. "You won't kill it, will you?"

"Well, it'll be mostly dead," Doctor Barns winked. Nick smiled his casual smile and gave up his finger. Doctor Barns took it in his paws and looked at it.

"It's a good finger," the doctor teased.

"Why, thanks Doc!" Nick joked. "That's why I don't want this one to die."

"Ah, I see. You'll just have to find a new good finger, then."

"I guess so."

Judy watched with amusement as Nick's playful face suddenly dropped as Doctor Barns stuck the needle in his finger.

"OH MY FREAKING GOSH, THAT HURTS!" Nick exclaimed. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!"

Judy began to giggle loudly at Nick's expression. She tried her hardest to not wiggle her phone as she was taping Nick. She was definitely going to keep this video and she wouldn't EVER let Nick delete it. This was too much of a precious memory.

"Gees! Ouch!" Nick exclaimed, flinching back and yanking his finger away from the doctor. He began to suck on the finger and licked it. "You doctors don't help at all! You just make us feel more pain!"

Doctor Barns began to laugh a whole-hearted one—as he was putting Nick's blood in a tube. Nick clearly wasn't kidding, though. He was upset. He growled lowly in irritation.

"What's so funny, Judy?" he snapped. Judy subsided her laughter so she could speak.

"Gosh, I don't know, Nick," she chuckled, sarcastically. "I think the fact that you're scared of finger pricks!"

"I am not!"

"Then why are you freaking out?" Judy wondered.

"Because it hurts!"

"You're overreacting," Judy snorted.

"I am not!" Nick growled. He glared at her, furiously. Judy held in her laughs as she pursed her lips. She watched as a slow smirk formed on his muzzle.

"Hey, doctor," Nick said. "Maybe you should give Judy a finger prick and show her how much it hurts."

"Oh, come on," Judy sniffed. "It can't hurt that bad. Nick, you're just a wimp."

"Then I have the right to call you a wimp too," Nick smirked. "If it doesn't hurt, then do it."

"Okay, fine then. I will," Judy replied. She ended her video on her phone and walked up to Doctor Barns.

"Are you ready, Judy?" Doctor Barns smiled with a mischievous smile on his lips.

"Of course!" Judy said. "It can't hurt like Nick says it does."

Judy gave the doctor one of her fingers as she continued to talk. "I'll show Nick how this does not hurt at all. I mean, really. A tiny little needle going into your skin can't hurt that-OH! OH! OH! OH MY GOSH! STOP IT DOCTOR! STOP! THAT HURTS!"

Now it was Nick's turn to laugh. He laughed like he never laughed before, trying to catch some air in his lungs between each laugh. He fell on the floor, clutching his stomach and laughing so hard that tears fell from the corner of his eyes.

"Judy, you-you-you s-should ssseee your f-face!" Nick cracked up. Judy glared at him as she was sucking on her finger. Now she regretted laughing at him. _What a sly fox,_ Judy growled to herself. Wait a minute! Was that a phone that he was holding up?

"You videotaped me!" Judy exclaimed. Nick nodded, subsiding his laughter a little bit.

"Yep. You videotaped me too!" Nick laughed. He laughed again, and this time Doctor Barns joined in.

"Foxes are sly, Sweetheart," Doctor Barns chuckled. "Especially watch out for this one."

Judy thumped her foot crossly as she watched Doctor Barns help Nick up onto his feet. Nick ended his video and he slipped his phone into his pocket.

"Man, Carrots. You have no sense of humor," Nick said.

"I do! That's why I was laughing at you," Judy snorted.

"Then why weren't you laughing when you got pricked?" Nick wondered.

"Why weren't _you_ laughing when _you_ got pricked?" Judy shot back. Nick stopped for a moment to think about that.

"Good point," Nick replied. "I'd just say that we're both even."

Judy smiled. "Yeah, we are."

Nick gave her his cute smile and turned to the doctor. "So, Doc. Is that all you need from me?"

"Yep, it is," Doctor Barns replied. "I will get back to you as soon as I can. If you still feel dizzy, I'd advise that you'd go and lie down when you get home."

"But sir, I have to get back to the ZPD," Nick replied.

"It's okay, Nick," Judy said. "I can cover for you and explain it to Chief Bogo."

"Thanks, Carrots," Nick said. "Doc, what's your number in case I need to call you again?"

"It's 678-945-0070," Doctor Barns replied. "I realized that I should probably have yours too. What is it?"

"770-896-2245," Nick responded. "Got that? I've got yours."

"Yep, I've got that," the doctor replied. "You're free to go, Nick. I'll get back to you soon.

Then Doctor Barns looked at Judy. "And Judy."

"Yes?"

"Remember what I said."

"Of course, Doc," Judy replied. She opened up the door. "Come on, Nick let's get you home."

"See you, Doc!" Nick called and waved. Doctor Barns waved back before Judy closed the door.

 **Haha, did you like this chapter? The finger-pricking part reminded me of one of my best friends. It wasn't tribute to her, (she doesn't ever read Fan fictions or see hasn't even see Zootopia) but I'm pretty sure that she would agree with that scene.**

 **Guests, feel free to review!**


	10. Deep Thoughts

**Here is your next chapter! It's been some time since I've updated. I've just been busy with school recently. So, this chapter is a little shorter, so sorry. It's about 1 and ½ pages long…Sorry that it's so short. I just had to make it a bit less confusing by letting ya'll know what's going on in Judy's head. Hope you like it!  
**

**Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

 **10**

 _Deep Thoughts_

Judy was lying down in bed that night. She was afraid to sleep because she knew that she'd only dream of nightmares, especially after what happened to Nick earlier that day. Nick. Nick…That fox…That sly, charming, handsome…Wait a minute. Since when had she ever thought of him as handsome?

"I can't have feelings for him," Judy told herself. "I don't even want nor have feelings for him. He needs to be the one to find his love, even if it is Alay. And like Nick, I should find _my_ special someone too.

"Nick and I have never nor ever will have feelings for each other. We're just friends, and anything stronger than that just might ruin our friendship."

Judy decided that whatever Nick chose to do with his life, she'd respect his decision. She had to be happy for him, even if his new girlfriend was Alay. _Darn, I forgot to look up her records_ …Wait…If Judy was thinking those things then obviously she didn't respect Nick's choice. Even though she didn't have feelings for Nick, as a friend, she still looked out for him. Nick didn't make the smartest decisions. She picked that up from his past. Even now he was pretty bad at decisions. Her mind flashed back to a time when they went out to get ice cream together. Nick picked the Chili Jalapeno flavor ice cream (Judy still wondered why that was even a thing) just because the name sounded cool to him. But when he began to eat that ice cream…Man, did he regret it. His went into a whole coughing fit and his face turned red. He began to complain about how nasty it tasted and how that should have never been invented.

As Judy thought about this, she suddenly came to realization. Did Nick also just pick Alay just because of her 'title?' Did he think that she looked like a fun, nice, pretty vixen and just because of that he started dating her? A cold shudder ran through Judy's body as she thought more about this. What if this good-sounding title (Alay) turned out to hurt him terribly just like the Chili Jalapeno ice cream did? Judy did NOT want Nick to get hurt. He had no idea who Alay was (just like her had no idea what that ice cream flavor would taste like.) Alay—being a sly fox—could seriously hurt him. Nick had gone through a lot of pain in his past. He didn't need some more pain in his life. Judy had to stop this 'Bad Title' before it went too far with Nick and hurt him.

The thought of pain suddenly brought Judy's mind back to earlier. Nick had almost hurt her earlier. And like he also said, he could have killed her! What on earth was happening to Nick? Why was he going savage? Actually, Doctor Barns said that it was beyond savage. He was still trying to find the cure for his patient, Jaws. This made Judy even more uneasy. The Doctor _said_ that Nick wouldn't go savage like the bear, but how could he prove that to be true? He couldn't! Nick could go savage just as well as Jaws did! Judy sat up in her bed and wrapped her arms around her knees. She shivered at this horrid, yet possible thought. Judy hardly noticed the tears coming to her eyes. Nick could go savage and never return back to his old self! What if it happened tomorrow? What if it was happening right now?!

 _I'll just keep myself on guard,_ Judy sniffed, a couple of tears rolling onto her nose. She wiped them with the back of her paw as she looked outside her window. Just a street away was Nick's apartment. What could be happening to him right now? _I have got to watch out for myself when I'm around Nick. He could go wild…My Nick…I don't…Don't…_

Judy couldn't get herself to think of the words. _It's okay to think them,_ Judy thought. _Just because you think them doesn't mean that they'll come true._

 _I cannot say them!_ Judy battled with herself. _Because, it could happen, especially if Nick does go beyond savage!_

Judy's other side argued with her head. _Are you doubting the doctor? Doctors' predictions are usually right! Doctor Barns will help Nick get through this! Don't fret!_

Judy snorted _. Usually, huh? I don't want Nick to…_

Judy shook her head as she held it in her paws. She couldn't say it! She couldn't! But her other side seemed as if it won the fight as she cried out, "I don't want Nick to die!"

A couple more tears spilled out of her eyes as she held in her breath. She felt as if she had screamed that out. Her loud neighbors must of thought of her as crazy if they heard her. But thankfully, nobody had heard her at all. Judy sighed and wiped away the last of her tears. She lied back down in bed. She closed her eyes, and with one last thought, she told herself, _Tomorrow is another day…_


	11. Better Than Revenge

**Hey guys! Here is your next chapter. I made it extra-long to make up for that last one. Sorry that it took a while to update. I've been kind of busy recently. This chapter has more drama (happy, AngloFalcon?), and according to the tile, REVENGE (Well, kind of.) Just hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

 **11**

 _Better Than Revenge_

It was Saturday morning. Judy had an unexpected day off. It was only every once in a while when she'd get the weekend off from work. Though she loved her work, breaks did sound nice.

Judy opened her eyes that morning and looked at her clock. It was 10:00 am. That was really late for her, but she was on break. She had no rush. She didn't need to be going anywhere. _I wonder if Nick is on break, too…_ Judy stopped her thoughts for a moment. _Nick._ She spent her entire night thinking about that fox. Judy hated to admit it, but she was definitely afraid of him now. But she wouldn't ever show it. She didn't want Nick to get mad and upset over that.

Judy picked up her phone from her nightstand. She went to her iMessage and pressed Nick's contact. She began to text him.

 _*Hey, are you off work today? Cuz I am.*_

With that, Judy stepped onto the cold hardwood floor and bent down on her knees in front of her bed. She pulled out a bin from underneath her bed. That was where she stored her clothes. She grabbed out a pair of navy blue jean capris and a light purple tank top. She threw those clothes on her bed as she began to pull off her night-top. She was just putting her pants on when she heard her phone buzz.

 _*Carrots, did you just wake up? I've been up for a while now. I'm at Icy's Café.*_

Judy swiped her phone screen and replied: _*Should I come and meet you up there, then?*_

Before Nick replied, Judy put her tank top on. She walked over to a mirror hanging up on her wall and she combed back her fur on her face. She grabbed her phone when it buzzed and read the text from Nick.

 _*If you want to…*_

 _What's that supposed to mean?_ Judy wondered. She shrugged it off and slipped her phone into her pocked before walking out her door.

##############################################################################

When Judy walked into Icy's Café, she did not like what she saw. Judy slowly walked up to Nick's booth and gave him a friendly (yet, half terrified) smile.

"Well, good morning, Judy," the sweet vixen's voice cooed. "I had no idea that you'd stumble upon us."

"Oh, didn't Nick tell you, Alay?" Judy asked. "H-he invited me to come too."

"You didn't tell me, Nicky."

Judy nearly cringed at that nic-name. It sounded so ugly when she said that. He even LET her say that and he never let Judy call him that.

"Well, she never did reply to my last text, so I didn't bother to tell you, Babe."

If Nick wasn't right there right then, Judy would've gaped her mouth wide open and probably begin to curse. Yeah, you heard that right. Curse.Judy Hopps wasn't normally one to curse, but she felt like cursing her head off there. _Babe? Really?!_ Nick didn't know who Alay was! It was bad enough that they shared kisses, but now cute, fluff nic-names too?

"Alay, I thought that you were leaving this part of Zootopia for a job," Judy said, trying to stand a conversation (which was more like an investigation to Judy.)

"No, I didn't get it…" Alay said.

"No wonder," Judy mumbled. Alay ignored Judy's comment and gave a bright smile.

"It's just because I need a partner," Alay explained, looking at Nick. Nick looked back at her with his eyes sparkling.

Judy looked up at Nick. "N-Nick?" she asked. "Y-you're leaving me?"

Nick sighed. "Look, Cottontail. It hasn't been decided yet, but…"

"You just don't want me around, do you?" Judy asked, biting her tongue to keep from emotional tears.

"Judy, it's not that," Nick said. "I don't feel like I was called to be a police."

"Then why did you go through all of that training?!" Right now, Judy didn't care if she started to cry. She was mad and upset.

"I just did it to hang out with you…Carrots…"

Judy paused for a moment and stared at Nick. Was this really true? Did he not care about his job? Did he only do it to see her? That was a horrible thing to do.

"And now?" Judy began to automatically thump her foot.

"Now it's time for me to start a job I've always wanted with the woman of my dreams."

Judy clenched her teeth and narrowed her eyes. "Oh, so our friendship doesn't matter anymore, huh?!"

Nick swiped his paw down his face. "Carrots, let's talk about this some other time."

"Why not right here with your precious girl friend? Are you afraid that she's gonna hear something that she's not supposed to, partner?!"

Judy surprisingly found the strength to flush away her tears. They didn't even dare to come back to her eyes. Her sensitivity was growing weaker. Judy almost smiled at that, but didn't because of the situation she was in.

"Carrots, stop. We can talk about this later, okay? I promise that I'll explain things to you," Nick said, almost whimpering.

"Oh, I think that you just have. And if you don't want me here, then I'll just go," Judy snapped, her eyes and nostrils flaring.

"Fine with me," Alay sniffed. _What a rude remark!_ Judy growled to herself. And the worst thing about it was that Nick didn't care. Her reply didn't make Nick angry or anything. In fact, Judy swore that she saw Nick nod along with Alay's reply.

"Okay, well I guess that there was no reason for me to come here, then," Judy snorted. "Have fun, you two."

Judy began to storm out of the café. Before she was about to swing open the doors, she turned around to see her partner—no, make that _ex_ -partner—and the vixen kissing. Judy shuddered and left the café.

##############################################################################

Judy was shattered on the floor, sobbing her heart out. Nick was dumping her! Her best friend was dumping her for his girlfriend! And to make matters worse, it was Alay. Judy balled her fists and clenched her teeth, nearly screaming out loud. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. Nick said that he hadn't made his choice yet, but it was clear to Judy that he had. He was dumping his best friend for Alay—a vixen he didn't know. Thinking about that again, Judy reminded herself to look up her records…

Judy reached her arm up and grabbed her phone from her nightstand. She checked the time. 1:07 pm. She must have been crying for 2 hours straight. But she didn't blame herself. This was all Nick's fault.

Judy stood up and sat on her bed. She took in a deep breath, held it in for a few seconds, and then exhaled through her nose. She wiped away the tears on her face. The tears soaked the fur around her eyes. It was clear that she had been crying, but she didn't care if anybody saw that. She was going to ignore anybody who gossiped or insulted her for being an 'Emotional Bunny.'

Judy sighed, slipped her phone in her back pocket, and walked out her apartment door. She was going to the _Personal Records Department._ She was going to find out who Alay was, once and for all!

Once Judy hit the streets of the heavily trafficked Zootopia, she began to jog. She knew where the PRD (Personal Records Department) was. She could just walk there on foot, even though it was kind of a far walk. It was close to the ZPD, but not super close. It was about 10 minutes away from that. But Judy, being a bunny, had the energy for the long walk.

Unfortunately, on her way there, she spotted Nick. He was sitting alone (to Judy's relief) on a bench with shades on over his eyes. He had on casual clothes as he watched the world go by.

Judy gritted her teeth and winced her eyes, knowing what would happen next. And she was right. She knew Nick all too well to know what he'd do.

"Carrots."

Judy walked on with a grim face. She blocked Nick out the best that she could. Suddenly she felt something grab her arm. Judy screamed a blood curling one and kicked Nick hard in the leg. However, that did not cause him to let go. Nick pulled Judy towards him. The claws. Those eyes. Judy was terrified. What if he was going to attack her? She couldn't escape! Not at all! Nick had her captured for good.

"Judy!"

Judy snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at Nick with terror filled in her eyes. No, Nick wasn't going savage. At least not right now.

"Leave me alone!" Judy whimpered. "I don't want to see your face ever again!"

"We both know that you're being a little overly dramatic," Nick said, a tiny smile on his face. But Judy thought there was no reason for him to be smiling. Okay, sure she was being dramatic. Of course she'd want to see him again. He was her best friend—at least for now—and he was her partner—but not for long.

"What do you want from me, Mr. Wilde?" Judy clenched her teeth together.

"Oh, ho-ho! So I'm a _Mister_ now, is that it?" Nick raised his eyebrows, quite amused. "I'm sorry if I insulted you, _Miss_ Hopps."

"Apology accepted," Judy sniffed. "Now let me go, Nick Wilde, or so help me, I'll-"

"You'll what, Cottontail? Use your fox repellent?" Nick set on his famous smile. "Hey, do you still carry that stuff around with you."

"Of course not!" Judy growled. "But maybe I should start doing that again. And if you don't let me go right now, the next time I see you, I definitely WILL spray you with that!"

"Whoa, bunny. Take it easy."

"Not even for one moment, fox!"

Nick loosened his grip on Judy's wrist. "Carrots, you're making a scene. Come and sit down. We need to talk."

Judy gave up. Nick had won. Plus, Judy did want to talk with Nick—even if it was about something she didn't want to hear. It had been sometime since they really talked last.

Judy set herself on the bench right next to Nick. She looked up at him with anxiety in her eyes. What if Nick started going savage again? She couldn't look out for him like the doctor said. She'd have to run. She'd have to run far away.

"Well, go ahead," Judy snorted, crossing her arms. Nick sighed and ran his paw down his face.

"Okay, well…Where should I start?"

"How about when Alay basically told me that she did not want me around at all."

"Carrots…"

Judy glared at Nick. "Is that what you want? Do you want a girl friend who absolutely hates your best friend? And your-your…"

Nick looked at Judy with hurt in his eyes. But it wasn't hurt for himself.

"Partner?" Nick cut in. Judy looked down at her dangling feet. She would NOT cry. She was too strong for that. She wouldn't cry anymore.

"How about Ex-Partner?" Judy said, slowly looking up at him. "Huh? Is that all I am? Some little toy for you to use until you fine someone else to barge into your life to make you happy?! Nick, do you even know exactly who Alay is?!"

"I know that I love her," Nick replied, quite harshly. "She's a one of a kind vixen. She makes me happy, Judy."

"Does she really?" Judy asked. "Or do you only hang out with her just because of her title?"

"What do you mean by title?" Nick asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh, so you don't even know who Alay is."

"Stop it, Judy! She had a bad past!" Nick said.

"You had a worse one. And do you lie about yourself?" Judy was growing really angry. "You don't, Nick! But she does! She's not who you think she is!"

"Judy, are you jealous?"

"No, Nick! I am not! In fact, I'm happy that you found a girl of your own, but…"

"But what? Is Alay not good enough for you?" Nick began to growl.

"Actually, it's the other way around. _I'm_ not good enough for _her_ ," Judy snorted.

"That's not true."

"But it is, Nick! It's definitely true!" Judy replied. "Didn't you see how rude she was to me in the café? Even when she first saw me there, she didn't want me to be there."

"Same for you," Nick retorted.

"I didn't expect her to be there," she said.

"Judy, just stop insulting her. Theirs is absolutely NOTHING wrong with her."

"Nick, you used to not like her! You used to feel uncomfortable around her!"

"Well, not anymore. She's my girlfriend."

"And I'm your best friend!"

Nick glowered at her. "Are you? Are you really? Because these past few weeks you've been totally trying to stray away from me as if you're scared of me, but when you see me with Alay, THEN you actually get close to me and talk. And that's why Alay is my girlfriend. She's someone who I can talk to when you're not around."

"Oh, so you're using her?"

"No! I do love her, too. It's not like that."

"Nick." Judy stared at him firmly. "She could be using _you._ "

"Judy, she wouldn't. You just don't know her like I do. Maybe if you two would get to know each other better…"

"Oh, no. That's not possible."

"Carrots, just listen."

"I am listening! You're not listening to _me!_ " Judy shouted. "Nick, just watch out, okay? I'm just helping you. As a friend."

"Would a friend try to hide from their friend?" Nick barked.

"Would a friend dump his _best_ friend for some other random, stupid job?!"

Nick sighed and dropped his head. There was a few seconds silence before Nick broke it. He looked up at Judy with hurt in his eyes. You could tell that he was definitely torn between his girlfriend and his best friend.

"Look, Fluff. I know this isn't an easy time for us. We both didn't expect this to happen at all, but it happened. And I can't change anything. I wouldn't even want to. I'm happy with Alay, but…Judy."

Judy softened her eyes and looked into Nick's hurt, green ones. "I want you to know that I'll always be here for you."

Judy's eyes watered. She turned her head away and watched some mammals stroll down the sidewalk. Thank goodness they didn't cause a scene. That would be bad.

"Carrots?"

Judy slowly turned her head towards Nick.

"So, you never wanted to be a Police Officer?" her eyes watered majorly. She was hurt terribly right now.

"Okay, I totally lied back there. I actually did. I love helping people out, but…" Nick looked at his paws. "This job that Alay wants me to do is a job that I've always wanted to do. And it also includes helping people."

"So, we won't be partners anymore?" Judy's voice faltered as she spoke that sentence. A tear fell out of her eye. Nick's eyes began to water.

"Judy, you know that I've loved being partners with you so much, but as things change, things also have to move on. Even without each other."

"You mean our friendship?"

Nick gave a sad, but amused laugh. "Carrots, our friendship will last forever for all I know."

Judy nodded and looked at her dangling feet again. "Good."

Nick put his paw on Judy's shoulder. "You know you love me, Carrots."

Judy looked up at Nick and smiled. "Do I know that? Yes, yes I do."

"And you also know that I love you."

Judy nodded. "Yeah."

Nick rubbed her back, comfortingly. "Don't worry, Carrots. Thing will work themselves through. We'll always be friends, even if we can't always see each other. Just know that I am with you always, okay?"

"How cliché, Nick."

Nick laughed. "Okay, that was cliché. You're right. But I just want you to know that."

"I know," Judy answered.

"Good."

Nick stood up. He held out his paw for Judy. She took it and Nick helped her up to her feet. Nick smiled down at her.

"Are we good, Carrots?"

"Yeah, I think so," Judy replied. "Thanks, Nick."

"No problem, Fluff."

Nick opened up his arms. Judy walked into them and hugged Nick tightly. "I'm sorry that I've been avoiding you recently. It's just that…"

"That attack?" Nick wondered. Judy nodded.

"That and something else."

"Would you mind telling me?" Nick said.

"Yes, I would. I don't like to talk about it," Judy sighed.

"That's okay, Carrots. I understand."

Nick hugged her tighter and closed his eyes.

"Stop, Nick. You'll make a scene," Judy giggled. Nick chuckled and loosened the hug. Judy looked around and suddenly met eyes with Alay. She pulled back from Nick's hug quickly and looked up at him.

"Looks like your girl is here," Judy said, managing a smile. She really wanted to be happy, but…She just couldn't. Judy wanted Nick to have a girlfriend, but, like she thought a million times, why Alay? _Well, I'll figure this out once I get to the PRD. Then I'll see who Alay really is, and things might change…_

"Bye, Carrots," Nick said.

"Bye," Judy said. She walked forwards down the street. She turned her head around real quick to look at Nick again. She saw him greet Alay with a kiss. Judy shuddered. _Hey, stop it, Judy,_ she said to herself. _Everything will play its self out soon, especially after I get to the PRD. You'll see. And they'll see…I just hope that Nick doesn't get hurt in playing of it._

##############################################################################

Judy was waiting in line at the PRD. She was thumping her foot impatiently. _Patients, Judy. A good officer should always have patience…I think…?_

There were 2 people in front of Judy. She had been in line for 30 minutes now. Judy sighed and reached into her pocket for her phone. Instead, her paw curled around something metal. Judy pulled it out of her pocket and looked at it. It was a badge. A police badge. At first Judy thought that it was hers, but then she realized that hers was in her other pocket.

Tears came to Judy's eyes as she realized what it was. Nick's Police Badge. So he really did quit his job just to be with Alay. Judy looked at the badge closely. She saw his name carefully carved into the gold badge. This was his badge. He should keep it. He really should have.

Wait, was that why Nick hugged her? Just to slip that into her pocket? Did that hug mean anything to him? It had to of…But what if it didn't? What if that talk meant nothing to him? Judy didn't want to assume things, but she was upset because of that.

 _Nick Wilde; Serve and Protect._ Those words written on his badge should have meant so much to him, but did it ever? Did he lie just to make her feel better? You never know, because he _is_ a fox.

"Next!"

Judy realized that her turn was next. She must have done a lot of thinking during that time. She slipped Nick's badge into her pocket and walked up to the counter.

"Hello, welcome to the Personal Records Department. How may I help you?" a kangaroo asked. She was a little bit older (probably around her parents' age) with reading glasses resting on her muzzle.

"Hey!" Judy replied, cheerfully. "I'm Officer Judy Hopps." She took a second to grab out her badge and showed it to the kangaroo. "I'm here to look at a personal record for a case I'm working on."

"What is the name of the animal?" the kangaroo wondered, looking at Judy.

"She's an arctic vixen named Alay Flake," Judy explained.

"What's her age?" the kangaroo wondered.

"I don't know," Judy replied. "But she has bright blue eyes…Can I just see the file now?"

"Whoa, don't be in such a rush," the kangaroo chuckled. "Let me look her up for you and give you what we have."

Judy nodded and waited as the kangaroo did some computer work. While that happened, Judy reached inside of her pocket for her phone. Her hand brushed against Nick's badge. That badge made Judy feel sad.

Judy looked at her phone and checked the time. It was 2:45 now. It had been more than an hour since she left her apartment. Speaking of apartments, Judy thought that—now since she had more money—she should move into a nicer one.

"Alay Flake?" the kangaroo said.

"Yes, that's her."

"Well, um…You see…I don't see any fox named Alay Flake on here. But there is a Saint Bernard whose name is Alay Flake," the kangaroo explained.

"No, that's impossible. She's a citizen here, so her records have to be here."

"I'm sorry, Officer," the kangaroo said. "But we hold all of the records here. She's just not here. Look."

The kangaroo turned her computer around to show Judy. "But…No…This can't be right. Alay Flake. Are you sure you spelled it right?" Judy was getting confused and irritated.

"You tell me," the kangaroo said.

Judy looked at the name. Yes, the name was spelled exactly the same. Judy didn't understand this at all. Unless…

"Well, thank you, Miss," Judy said, smiling. "You've been a great, big help!"

"But, I-"

"Bye, Miss!" Judy shouted, running off, zooming through the PRD lobby. She weaved throughout animals and headed for the doors. She heard the distance, "Officer! Officer!" coming from the kangaroo, but Judy didn't turn around. She was on a roll.

Once Judy hit the sidewalk outside of the PRD, she set a smirk on her face. She figured one thing out. Alay was a liar. There was no fox named Alay Flake! She couldn't assume things, but she knew that 'Alay' was faking her identity. She was probably a wanted criminal or something. Judy didn't know yet, but she knew that Alay was a fake. She had to tell Nick! She just had too!

Judy was excited while she ran on the sidewalks of Zootopia. This was one of her most exciting cases yet! Except…it was her first case without Nick. Well, how about that. That good for nothing fox just dumped his amazing job for his girlfriend…His girlfriend that he didn't know! She could save Nick before they got too deep into their relationship. Judy was very worried about Nick's safety, especially since Alay was faking her identity! She didn't want to get Nick hurt. Now she just had to convince him. And she would do it, no matter how long it took. She would get Nick back, not matter what the consequences were.

##############################################################################

"Nick! Nick!" Judy began to knock on Nick's apartment door. Hopefully he was here, especially after a long day with Alay. Judy shivered while thinking about her.

Nick opened up his door and saw Judy.

"H-hey Carrots," Nick said.

"Nick! Nick," Judy panted. "I-I found out who Alay is!"

"What do you mean…?" Nick wondered, raising one eyebrow.

"I-"

Judy stopped as she saw Alay come up from behind Nick. Judy wanted to drop to the ground and curl up right there. She felt so embarrassed. If Alay heard her say that, then her plan would be ruined.

"Oh, hi Judy," Alay said, her tone lowering—almost as if she were disgusted with Judy.

"Hello, Alay," Judy replied with equal bitterness. "Having a sweet old time with Nicky here, aren't you?"

Nick was about to open his mouth, but Alay shushed him. "Nick, I'll be right back. I need to talk with Judy, okay?"

"O-okay…" Nick said, unsure. "Don't do anything stupid."

"'Course not," she smiled. She planted a kiss on his cheek. "It'll only be a second. And don't you dare eavesdrop on us. I have good presence sense, so I'll be able to tell if you're listening or not."

Nick smiled slyly and winked. "Of course, babe. Just be quick. That movie is waiting. I'll start the popcorn while you talk."

Judy almost felt hurt at that. She remembered then how Nick gave her his badge. Before Alay closed the door behind her, Judy asked, "So, Nick. See you at work tomorrow?"

Nick stopped for a moment as a look of panic took over his face. But he played it cool and shrugged it off. "Yeah, yeah."

Judy felt a twinge of pain. Alay carefully closed the door and motioned for Judy to back up a few steps. They were in the middle of the hallway. Judy was about to speak, but Alay put her paw up.

"I just got to check if he's listening in…" Alay explained. She sniffed the air and perked her ears forwards. "Okay, good. He's not."

"Of course he isn't," Judy snorted. "Nick is a very trustworthy friend, and I'd know."

Alay let a snarl escape her lips. "Who do you think you are, Judy Hopps?"

Judy stood up tall and spread a frown on her lips. "I'm an Officer of the law whose only job is to serve and protect animals. Who do you think you are?"

"Why, I'm Alay Flake, the hottest vixen around, Sweets," Alay winked.

"Hmm, that's funny," Judy said, putting a finger on her fuzzy chin. "Because I went to the PRD today and looked you up. And guess what I found. I didn't find a fox there named Alay Flake. We searched through the computers and the only being in Zootopia named Alay Flake was a Saint Bernard."

Alay stopped for a second. She pulled back her lips and growled. "I hate cops," she hissed.

"Would you mind telling me who you are, Ms _. Alay?_ "

"Officer Judy Hopps, I'll have you know that I changed my name," Alay snorted.

"Then why isn't it in the Personal Records, then?" Judy thumped her foot. She thought she stumped her, but Alay's response wasn't what Judy expected.

"Because nobody trusts a fox," Alay replied. "They all think that we're so evil. Even you."

Alay bent down towards Judy and got so close that their noses almost touched. Judy frowned deeply and stared into Alay's bright blue eyes. Alay set a smirk on her face.

"You're scared of me," Alay snickered.

"Alay, if you dare hurt Nick-"

"What makes you think I'd hurt him? Because I'm a fox, huh? Well, newsflash for you, Sweetheart. He's a fox too."

"I'm not stupid," Judy muttered, gritting her teeth. "And don't call me that, Pumpkin."

"Ah, revenge with the names, is it?"

"Alay Flake—if that's even your real name—I will find out who you are, and when I do, there will be big consequences!" Judy shouted.

"Quiet. Unless you want Nick to hear," Alay cooed. Judy's face began to grow red.

"What's this to you? A game?" Judy growled.

"Oh, it's only a game of sweet revenge."

"What are you talking about?" Judy asked, perking up her droopy ears. Alay set on the fox smirk and raised her eyebrows.

"You're jealous, Ms. Hopps," Alay said.

"I am not!" Judy exclaimed.

"Then why are you looking out for Nick?" Alay asked.

"Because he's my friend," Judy replied.

"Judy Hopps, he's more than that to you," Alay spoke. "But it's too late now, bunny. He's mine now. Just thinking, how strange a fox and a rabbit relationship may be."

Judy thumped her foot over and over again. "I do NOT have feelings for Nick. He's just my best friend and I want to look out for him. And since I don't know who you really are, it makes me worried for Nick!"

"Because you have feelings for him…"

"Argh!" Judy exclaimed, furious. Then she did something unexpected. She grabbed Alay by her shirt collar and yanked her down towards her. Panic spread on Alay's face for a moment.

"Alay Flake, if you dare hurt Nick in any way, you will regret it deeply. I have no idea who you are, but Nick is my friend and I don't want him to be hurt anymore, you understand?!"

Judy pushed Alay back. Alay almost stumbled backwards, but she straightened herself up.

"I never knew that you had that much strength in you," she chuckled. But Judy was not amused.

"You remember what I said, Alay," Judy sniffed. "And just keep in mind that I'm even stronger. If you hurt Nick, you are going down. Bunny style."

"Bunny style?" Alay laughed. "I'm sooooo scared."

"Hmm, well you should be," Judy said. "Because I'm a lot stronger than you think."

Judy spun around and began to walk away. She felt pretty good about herself. She let a smirk grow across her face as she turned back around to look at Alay.

"Oh, and Alay."

Alay looked at Judy.

Judy sniffed. "You should keep in mind that there is nothing I do better than revenge."

Alay stood there in shock, definitely not expecting those words from an innocent bunny like Judy.

With those last words, Judy hopped off.

 **So, review please! Guest, PLEASE REVIEW TOO! I LOVE guest reviews.**

 **Oh, and if ya'll didn't catch this, this chapter was based off of Taylor Swift's song "Better Than Revenge," in her** _ **Speak Now**_ **album.**


	12. Come Back To Me

**A/N: Here ya'll go! I hope that you enjoy this chapter. I know that you're all waiting to see how this all plays out. You will either be like, "?**% &##!" or (being shocked) "Oh….Okay…" LOL, but we shall see what your expression is when it all plays out.**

 **Also, if any of ya'll want to draw fan art for this, then that'd be great. If you have a Deviantart page, just post it on there and tell me your Deviantart account and I'll look at that picture on there.**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

 **12**

 _Come Back To Me_

The thorns hurt her terribly as she ran through them in the dark night. The moon was covered by dark clouds and the wind howled mightily. But it wasn't the night or the weather that caused her fear. It was her partner, Nick Wilde. Everything that he ever did, everything that he ever said, was a lie. He had lied to her, and now he was proving to her that their friendship was a lie.

Judy felt jaws latch onto her white nightgown. She screamed, twisted around, and flipped onto her back on the muddy ground. A piece of mud flew in her eye. She brought her paw up to get it out of her eye, but when she finally did, she saw clearly. She also saw Nick slowly advancing towards her. He was down on all fours, growling. The foamy saliva dripped down from the corners of his mouth.

 _I wish this was a dream! It has to be a dream! Wake up, Judy! Wake up!_

Nick's eyes were so cold. Too cold. His once beautiful green eyes were now hinted with a tinting of blood red. Judy wanted to wake up right then on that muddy ground, but she knew that this wasn't a dream. She knew that the doctor was wrong about Nick's condition. She knew that Nick would go savage like the bear, Jaws. The doctor was so oblivious to everything. He was no help at all. He probably only made things worse for Nick, and now Nick was unchangeable.

"Nick, no," Judy whispered. He was 2 feet away from her, glaring at her with his frightening eyes.

"Nick, stop this. Fight it, Nick. You don't have to do this," Judy said, on the bridge of tears. But Nick had no sense in him. His eyes were targeted on Judy's throat. Judy tried to scamper up to her feet, but before she could, Nick pressed his front paw on her leg. He let out a loud snarl and brought up his claw to Judy's face, leaving a deep gash on her cheek. Judy let out a gasp, but before she could scream, she held her breath.

"So, i-is this how things will end?" Judy spoke. "You and me, both like this? Predator kills prey? H-huh?"

Nick brought his face close to Judy's.

Judy blinked a blood tear—with legit blood. "Nick," she whispered. "Come back to me."

But it was too late. Judy had just managed to let those words escape her lips before Nick opened up his jaws widely and wrapped them around her small neck. He pressed down on her throat with his teeth and slowly squeezed the breath out of Judy. Then he pulled back his jaws a little bit and began to tear up Judy's throat. Bits and pieces of her flesh flew everywhere as Nick destroyed his partner. Wait, make that _ex_ -partner.

##############################################################################

"NICK!"

Judy leapt up in bed, screaming out his name. She put her paw over her heart and breathed heavily. _It was all just a dream. Thank God. I'm safe. Nick's safe…But he may not be for long._

Judy slipped her legs out of bed and her feet hit the cold floor. She sat on the edge of her bed and sighed out loud. She knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep after this terrible nightmare.

Who was Alay? That question rang in her head for a while now. It was ever since earlier that day when she left the PRD. She had to find out who she was before things got out of hand. She began to make a list in her head. **1.)** She worked with Jaws. **2.)** She—apparently—had a bad past. **3.)** She grew up in the Snow District. **4.)** She had a…brother? Wait a minute, if Alay wasn't truly named Alay _Flake,_ then that meant that she didn't even have a brother named Jake Flake! This made more sense now! Tomorrow she'd have to go the hospital and set an appointment to talk to _Jake Flake._ If there was no mammal there named Jake Flake, then that proved that Alay was hiding something. And if she was hiding something, then she could be a criminal. And if she was a criminal—and dating Nick—then…Judy didn't even want to think about that. She had to figure things out as soon as possible.

##############################################################################

"Chief Bogo?" Judy slowly cracked the door open after she knocked on it.

"Yes, Officer Hopps? What is it?" Chief Bogo wondered, looking up from some papers that he was marking. Judy slowly walking in, hoping that that was an invitation into his office. Chief Bogo nodded at her, motioning for her to sit down. Judy took his cue and set herself down on a chair.

"I just had a few questions," Judy explained.

"Is one of them why Officer Nick Wilde isn't here?" Bogo wondered.

"No, actually not really," Judy said.

"I'll have you know that he's not here today, but he will be for the last 2 weeks. After those weeks are over, he will be quitting this job."

Judy nodded and bit her lip. If he was taking the other job, then that meant that he was also moving into the Snow District. Sure, they would see each other, but not as often.

"Nick Wilde was—and is, for now—a great Police Officer, Hopps," Bogo added in. "I don't like the idea of him leaving either—even though he is a sarcastic, smart-alec idiot—but it's not our choice. It's his."

"I understand sir, but that's not what I…"

"We will have to find you a new partner," Bogo cut in. "We don't have to find them right now…"

Judy stopped him. "With all due respect sir," she said, straightening herself up. "That's not what I'm here to talk about."

"Oh," Bogo said. "Well, carry on, then."

"I was wondering if there was ever a time—before I joined the police force, of course—that you officers were tracking down a young arctic vixen."

"Why do you need to know?" Bogo wondered.

"Well, sir, there is this vixen that I know who's acting really suspicious," Judy explained. "She seems like she's a criminal or something with the way she acts. If there ever was a time that you were tracking down an arctic vixen, well…This fox would probably be the one."

"Hmm…" Chief grunted. He thought deeply for a while before he gave Judy his answer. "There was one a few years ago. Probably about 4 years ago. But we had caught her and brought her to court. She was proven innocent, and she swore not to act suspicious like she did before ever again."

"How—may I ask—was she acting suspicious?" Judy wondered.

"She was—how would you say it? She loitered in places that she wasn't supposed to, she gave unease to those around her, she did terrible drugs," Bogo said. "I can't think of anything else at the moment."

"Do you think that there is a possibility that she returned to her bad ways?" Judy asked.

"I doubt it," Chief Bogo replied. "She seemed very honest. But then again, she is a fox."

Judy gave him a look, but before she could say anything, Bogo held his hoof out and cut her off quickly.

"No, I'm not being racist, Officer Hopps," Bogo said. Judy closed her mouth, feeling a bit ashamed. "It's just the way foxes are."

"I understand, sir," Judy said, giving him an understanding smile.

"Will that be all, Hopps?" Bogo asked.

"One more question. How old was she?"

"Then, I'd say about 21 years old," Chief replied.

"Thank you, sir," Judy said, grinning. If that was four years ago, then Alay would most likely be that age then. Now she was probably about 25. This was playing out nicely.

"Oh, Chief, before I go, I have a question," Judy said.

"Yes, Officer Hopps?"

"Can I take a week off to go see my parents soon?" Judy wondered, crossing her fingers.

Bogo grunted. "Hmm…Let me think. Next week I'll probably need you around for a festival in the Rain Forest District…How about in 2 weeks? In 2 weeks you can go and visit your family. But only for a week."

"Of course, sir. Thank you," Judy replied, smiling. "That'll be all."

"Goodbye, Officer," Chief said. "Return to your work quietly."

Judy nodded. She hopped off of her seat and walked towards the door. She opened it up and walked out, closing the door behind her. She set a smile on her face. Things were working out nicely. VERY nicely.

##############################################################################

Judy was in a police car that Clawhauser lent to her. She was on her way to the hospital to go see if there really was a Jake Flake. This would solve a lot of things and even make Nick's eyes open to the truth. If she could just take him to the hospital—that is, if there wasn't a Jake Flake—then Nick would see that his girlfriend was lying majorly.

Judy parked the police car in the tall parking lot. She was on the 3rd floor and she knew that she had to hurry before visiting hours were over. It was almost already 6:30, and the visiting hours were done at 6:45.

Judy walked out of the garage-like parking lot. It was raining a little bit, but not too hard. She stepped onto the sidewalk and made her way to the front of this hospital. She crossed her arms and bent her head down as she walked. She didn't feel like getting wet, but it was kind of impossible not to.

Judy walked into the hospital. Her fur was pretty wet, but it wasn't soaked. However, the cool air conditioning hit her which made her shiver. Cold air and wet fur did not go well together.

The bunny walked up to the front counter. She felt really small right then. The counter was so tall. She began to wonder in the counter lady would see her.

"Um, excuse me, ma'am?" Judy said, lifting up a paw. A large mammal looked down at her and Judy blushed when she realized that this mammal was a lion. A MALE lion.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, sir!" Judy said, almost hiding her face in her ears. "I didn't mean to-"

The lion chuckled deeply. "It's alright, Officer. What can I do for you?"

"I'm here to see one of your patients for a moment," Judy explained. "I was supposed to check up on him for someone real quick. He's a fox named Jake Flake."

The lion nodded and searched through his computer. "Jake Flake, you say?" he asked. "We don't have a patient here named Jake Flake."

"What?" Judy asked, half surprised, half not. She had a feeling that Alay was lying, but she just had to make sure. "Are you sure?"

The lion nodded. "I've been working at this counter for a couple of months now, and I know the patients that are here. There is no Jake Flake here."

Judy knew that that was all true. Like she though before, if Alay's real name wasn't really Alay _Flake,_ then there definitely wouldn't be a Jake _Flake._

"You've have a visitor here recently named Alay Flake, correct?" Judy wondered. The lion looked at her as if he was saying, 'How did you know?' But he just nodded.

"Yes, she's come in here about 3 times now," the lion replied.

"What patient is she here to see?" Judy wondered.

"I'm pretty sure that it was Mr. Jaws Bellow," the lion answered. "He is in terrible conditions, that bear is. He's going nuts. But that girl sure does show some affection for him."

Judy suddenly felt so terribly dizzy. Everything was slowly coming together now. Alay and Jaws worked together! That entire 'Give me your money' scene was probably just an act! But, why? Why would that be an act? How did they know that someone would come along? Unless…

"Oh-no," Judy mumbled, lifting her paws up to cover her muzzle.

"Is everything alright, Officer?" the lion asked, concerned.

"I've gotta go see Nick! I've got to tell him!" Judy exclaimed, whirling around on one foot. "Thank you, sir! You've been an amazing help!"

"Um…You're welcome?"

Judy waved back at the lion and ran out the doors. The cold rain hit her pelt, but she didn't care. She had to get to Nick. She had to get to him before it was too late!

 **Gees, I'm a jerk, aren't I? I have to make you suffer through a cliffhanger. And this one's a pretty big one, isn't it?**

 **Guests, please, please, PLEASE review! I feed off of reviews. And breathe off of them. Maybe that's why…Yeah, I'm not going into details.**


	13. Love or Duty?

**CHAPTER 13! YAY! I added in a LOT more drama in here, and I hope that I make some of you cry. ;)**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

 **13**

 _Love or Duty?_

"Alay? Is that you?"

Alay closed Nick's apartment door behind her as she walked into it. She had just finished talking with Judy and she was still shocked from Judy's last words. Would Judy really get revenge? Why and how?

Alay met Nick in his kitchen and gave him a small peck on the cheek.

"Who else?" Alay asked, setting herself on Nick's counter.

Nick smiled. "How did your talk with Judy go?"

"You weren't listening, were you?" Alay wondered, giving him an uneasy look.

"Of course not," Nick said. "I was making popcorn. Why would you think that?"

Alay shrugged. "I just wanted to make sure. Everyone goes against their word sometimes. Plus, we were talking about girl stuff."

"Okay, Sweetheart," Nick winked. "I understand."

Nick grabbed Alay's paw and helped her to the ground. "Ready to start the movie?"

Alay nodded. "Yeah, I am. What movie is it?"

"Some comedy. I bet that it's cheesy too," Nick chuckled.

"It sounds awesome," Alay replied, snuggling her head beneath Nick's chin. Nick kissed the top of her head and led her down to his couch. They sat down and snuggled as the movie played. Nick was right. It WAS really cheesy. But it had an interesting plot to it.

More towards the end of the movie, when it was starting to get a little boring, Alay grabbed Nick's hand and squeezed it. Nick looked down at her and looked into her crystal blue eyes. Alay opened her mouth to speak some shocking words.

"I love you, Nick Wilde," she said with honesty. Nick felt choked up. Alay had just admitted that she truly loved him. Of course he knew that she did before, but hearing her say those words made him know that she truly meant it. Everything that Judy had said about her was a lie. Alay wouldn't hurt him, especially if she just said sincerely that she loved him.

"I-I love you too," Nick replied, swallowing the lump in his throat. He leaned down to place a kiss on Alay's lips. He endured that moment and it felt like it lasted for an eternity. But however, it didn't.

"Nick," Alay mumbled, pulling away. "We're gonna miss that ending of the movie if you don't stop kissing me."

Nick grinned. "Whatever, Sweetheart." He put his arm around her and held him to close to her. At last, Alay was truly his. Nothing could ever separate them. Ever.

##############################################################################

"Nick Wilde, where are you taking me?" Alay giggled, confused. Nick had adored last night so much that he decided to bring Alay somewhere. It was going to be a little surprise for her.

Nick held onto Alay's paw tightly and looked back at her. "Oh, just a little fun place. You'll enjoy it, Girl."

Alay let a cute, excited squeal escape from her lips. "I can't wait to see what it is! Are we going out to dinner? Maybe a romantic picnic? Or a movie? Perhaps…"

"Alay, if you don't stop talking, then you'll never know," Nick chuckled. Alay dramatically clapped her free paw over her mouth and laughed.

"Mr. Wilde, you can't speak to a lady like that."

"Well, this fox can. And he does," Nick replied, smoothly. "Now stop slowing down. We're almost there."

Nick ran down the sidewalk in the Sahara Square, clutching onto Alay's paw. Alay kept up the best that she could. She was excited to see where Nick was taking her.

"Well, here we are," Nick panted. Alay was awed by what she saw.

"The beach? Oh, Nick. I LOVE the beach!" Alay exclaimed, hugging Nick tightly. "Thank you."

"Come on. Let's get over there to the water," Nick said, dragging her along with him again. Alay grinned widely. She was really happy. Nick was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

Once they were sitting down in the warm sand with their toes in the water, Alay let out a loud, satisfied sigh.

"Nick, this is perfect," she said. "Really. Thank you."

"You deserve this," Nick replied. Alay smiled and looked at her feet swooshing in the foamy water. She was thinking about her next move. She really didn't want to do it. At all. But…

"Do you like Judy?"

Nick looked up at her. "Sure I do. She's my best friend. We've known each other for a while now."

"That's not what I'm asking," Alay said. "Do you _like_ Judy?"

"Alay…" Nick groaned.

" _Do you like Judy?_ " Alay growled, slightly pulling back her lips from her teeth.

"I love you, Alay," Nick said. "Truly and deeply. You will always be mine. I have no feelings for that little bunny."

"Then why are you so…nervous around her?" Alay asked, softer.

"I just…She's my best friend, and I don't want to offend her or anything. Especially since you've entered my life—which is a wonderful thing. She and I are just trying to figure things out, and I'm still trying to make her comfortable around you. Hopefully she will be soon."

Alay nodded. "But you know that I'm yours. Judy and you may be friends, but you're my boyfriend. She can't get in our way."

"Alay…" Nick looked pained. "I…I need to show Judy that she isn't left out. Even though you stand in a higher position, it doesn't mean that I'm going to dump my best friend."

He grabbed both of her paws and his green eyes looked into her blue ones. "Try to understand that for me."

Alay nodded. "Of course, Nick," she said. "I shouldn't be so selfish. After all, you're quitting your job to work with me."

Nick nodded. "Exactly," he replied. "And, you also have to understand that I will need some time to hang out with Judy when I start working with you. Judy and I won't be able to see each other as often and…we're best friends."

"But…Aren't girlfriend and boyfriends supposed to be best friends?"

"Not in this case," Nick explained. "Just know that I love you, Alay. Things will work out nicely soon enough."

"Okay."

"Alay, you are amazing. Thank you for entering into my life," Nick said, smiling. Alay smiled back and leaned against him.

"No problem," she responded. "You're amazing too."

The tide slowly began to rise. Soon it began to reach their knees, but the couple didn't budge. They didn't even care if a big wave came crashing onto them…Or so they thought. When a big wave DID crash on them, they were swept into the water. Nick rose to the surface, sputtering. Alay soon met him and began to laugh. Nick was irritated at first. He didn't feel like being laughed at, but he soon joined her in the laughter.

Alay swam towards Nick and rested her paws on his shoulders.

"Come on, let's get back to shore," Alay giggled.

"Yeah, lets," Nick grunted. He swam through the stirring waters with Alay by his side. "I did not mean to get my clothes wet."

"Well, what do you expect when you go to the beach?" Alay cocked her head.

"Um, to not get wet!" Nick replied, smirking. They dragged themselves to the shore and sat farther away from the tide. But it was growing. Nick looked up at the sky and saw dark clouds. The wind began to pick up. He knew that there was going to be a storm.

"Bummer," Alay pouted, noticing the weather.

"It's okay. We can stay a little longer," Nick said. Suddenly he felt a rain drop. No, two. Wait, 3. "Well…"

Alay laughed. "Don't worry, Nick. I loved this little trip."

"I'm glad you did."

The rain suddenly began to down pour on them. Alay let a scream escape from her mouth as she clutched onto Nick. He chuckled.

"It's okay. Here, let's get back to my place," Nick said. "Sorry that this was so short. I didn't expect this sudden weather to appear. One moment, there wasn't a cloud in sight. The next moment…well….here we are."

Nick helped Alay to her feet. They got out of the wet sand and made a mad dash for some shelter. The ground was cold and hot at the same time. It was probably the humid from the hotness of the Sahara Square.

Once they were in the streets of the Sahara Square, Nick pulled Alay under a tent in the market place. The market sellers were quickly closing up shop so that they could get home to get out of the bad weather.

Thunder boomed and it felt like it shook the streets. Alay jumped onto Nick when she heard that.

"Sorry, I'm just afraid of thunder," Alay admitted.

"Yeah, not everyone can face it," Nick winked. Alay smiled shyly and slipped out of Nick's arms. She just wanted to get out of the rain.

"Come on, I know a short cut," Nick said. He led Alay down an alley. It was party covered from the clothes that were hung between the two buildings, but the couple were still getting soaked.

"How far is it?" Alay wondered.

"We're not too far," Nick replied.

" _Too_ far?"

"We'll be there soon," Nick barked. They got out of the alley and were standing on a sidewalk, waiting to cross the road. The roads were full of traffic. Some animals were in a rush to get home.

"We can make it if we run now!" Alay shouted. Nick squeezed her hand tightly and raced to the other side of the road. They had just barely made it to the other sidewalk on the other side when Alay slipped. She yelped and cursed.

"H-help me!" Alay snarled, embarrassed with herself for falling. She looked over and saw a car heading their way. "Hurry, Nick!"

Nick pulled Alay up to her feet and pushed her onto the sidewalk, almost getting hit by oblivious driver.

"He could've killed you!" Nick panted.

"Yeah, but you saved me."

Nick shrugged and loosened his grip on her paw. "Come on," he said. "Once we go down this alley, we take a right and we'll reach the 'shortcut.'"

They trotted down the next alley. It was a little darker inside of this one. It spooked Alay out a bit. The wind howled loudly, seeming to be captured in that small space.

"Nick…I don't like this," Alay whined. "It's like someone can come and murder us in here."

"Nonsense!" Nick replied, trying to lift her spirits. "I've gone through this alley many times. I've never met a murderer in here."

"Then who's that up ahead?" Alay whispered, eyeing a silhouette advancing towards them. She began to shake—party because she was cold, and also because she was scared. Nick cocked his head and looked at the small figure coming towards them.

"I-is that a gun in their hand?" Alay wondered, her voice now trembling. Nick looked at her and saw the fear in her eyes.

"It's alright," Nick assured her. "I don't think that that's a gun, anyways."

"Nick, he's coming closer! We need to run!" Alay whimpered. Nick did get a little frightened too, but before he could show his fear, he heard the figure's voice.

"Nick?"

Nick knew that voice. And he knew it all too well. He squinted his eyes and definitely recognized it too.

"Finnick!" Nick exclaimed, smiling brightly. "Finnick, my man! I was just on my way to see you!"

"You were?" the fennec fox wondered.

"Yeah. We need a ride," Nick explained.

"Oh, so is that it? You don't want to see me just to hang out. You want me to do a favor for you. Is that it?" Finnick growled.

"Look, buddy," Nick sighed. "Sorry that I haven't had time to see you. It's just that, you know. The police force takes a lot of commitment."

"But you're quitting that job," Alay said, resting her paw on his elbow.

Nick nodded. "I promise that I'll hangout soon, but we need to get home," Nick said. Finnick nodded.

"Okay," he barked. "Follow me. The van's parked up here."

"Thanks," Nick replied, patting his friend on the back. Alay and Nick followed their small guide out of the alley. They found the van parked by the side of the road, awaiting them.

"What are you doing out here?" Nick wondered. "Going somewhere?"

"I was going to the market, but then it began to storm," Finnick explained. "Hurry up and get in before the storm gets any worse."

Finnick hobbled into the front seat as Nick opened the back door for Alay. He helped her get in before he ran around to the other side of the van and hopped into the passenger seat. He buckled himself and began to shiver. It was nice and air conditioned in the van, and it wasn't very pleasant to be in a van full of AC after hanging out in the rain.

Finnick started the van and began a conversation with the foxes.

"Did I hear wrong, or did that pretty vixen say that you're resigning from being a police?" Finnick asked.

"You heard right," Nick said. "That pretty little vixen is my girlfriend and I'm starting a new job with her."

"Where at?"

"The snow district," Nick told him.

"And what does your bunny friend think about this?" Finnick asked.

"She's not very happy, but she says that she respects my decision," Nick responded. "I will miss working with her, though. She's a good partner."

"Just 'good'?" Finnick raised his eyebrows.

"You're right. She's a great partner. But I'm sure that Alay will be a better one," Nick corrected himself.

"Aw, Nick. That's sweet," Alay spoke.

"Yeah, but I think that the bunny police is a lot sweeter," Finnick sniffed.

"FINNICK!" Nick snapped. "Why would you say that?"

"Face it. She's cute and innocent. Who wouldn't want her?"

"I just hope that she finds herself someone soon," Nick snorted. "Don't go thinking those thoughts, especially in front of my girlfriend."

"I was sure that Judy would be yours," Finnick grinned.

"FINNICK!" Nick growled.

"I'm just kidding," Finnick winked. "Now, about you little vixen. Where are you from?"

"The Snow District," Alay said. "But I moved to the heart of Zootopia after I graduated from high school."

"Didn't go to college?"

"Why would I? I didn't get any scholarships because I was a fox," Alay frowned, crossing her arms.

"Aw, too bad little Vixie," Finnick grunted.

"Don't call me that," Alay growled.

"Sorry," Finnick mumbled. Then he leaned towards Nick and whispered in his ear, "I don't really like your girlfriend. She's too stuck-up."

Nick frowned and wacked him in the head.

"Just keep your eyes on the road, Finnick," Nick snapped. "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

Finnick huffed and rolled his eyes. "I ain't a preschooler," he barked. "Don't use those words on me."

Nick looked back at Alay and gave her an apology smile. Alay nodded.

"It's okay Nick," Alay said.

"What is?" Finnick questioned.

"Your rude behavior, that's what!" Nick grunted.

"Oh, it is okay? Well then, I'll continue doing it," Finnick smirked. Nick mentally face palmed and snapped at Finnick, "Just drive!"

"Fine, fine," he sighed. "But just so you know, I'm not gonna drop you off at your apartment. I'm gonna let you walk home in the rain."

"Fine, whatever," Nick replied. "Just get us as close as you can."

The rest of the ride there, Nick and Finnick ignored each other. Obviously this wasn't the best time to go talking about their earlier conversation, especially with Alay listening in the back.

Finnick stopped the van right outside of the ZPD. He looked at Nick and gave him a smug look.

"Well, this is your stop."

"Right here? Did it have to be this far away?" Nick asked. Finnick nodded. "Finnick, I swear, if you-"

"Just get out of my van. We'll talk later," Finnick growled. "Plus, it isn't raining so hard anymore."

"Yeah, but it's still raining," Nick replied.

"Stop being a little wimp and get out of my van," Finnick commanded. "Who cares if you get your bushy tail wet?"

Nick growled lowly, irritated with the fennec fox. He climbed out of the van and stood by the door. "I'll see you then, buddy," Nick said quietly. Finnick nodded.

"It better be soon," he replied. "Hey little Vixie! Get out of my van."

"I told you not to call me that!" Alay snapped, opening the van door and slipping outside.

"Yeah, well it suits you," Finnick snorted. Then he looked at Nick. "See you, buddy."

With that, Finnick drove away. His tire was dunked in a puddle and the water sprayed all over Nick. He stood there for a moment, trying to hold in his anger. He clenched his fists and teeth.

"I swear, I will kill that fox," Nick muttered. Alay smiled sweetly.

"Before you do, let's get into the ZPD," Alay said. "I'm freezing cold. Hopefully it's warm in there."

The couple started their way towards the door when they heard a faint, "Nick!"

Nick turned around and saw Judy racing towards him. She was soaking wet and still wearing her police uniform. Nick turned to Alay and gave her a pleading smile.

"Hey, just go ahead and get in there. I'll meet you in there soon. I have to talk to Judy first," Nick said to Alay.

"O-okay," Alay replied, crossing her arms to keep from shivering. "Don't let her hurt you."

Nick chuckled. "Judy, hurt me? Nah, that's practically impossible."

"Okay. Just don't be too long," Alay said, turning around and heading for the doors. Nick slowly began to walk towards his soon-to-be ex-partner. He opened up his arms wide and smiled.

"Hey, Carrots!" he greeted. "How have you been?"

Judy ran right up to him and panted. "I never got the chance to tell you last night," she gulped in more air.

"About what?" Nick wondered, curiously.

"About Alay," Judy told him. Nick narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Nick, she's not the fox you think she is!" Judy explained. "I-I looked up her records yesterday."

"You what?!" Nick snapped. Judy nodded.

"You heard me right," Judy said.

"Why would you do that?!"

"Listen, Nick. There was no fox there named Alay flake!" Judy exclaimed.

"So?" Nick snorted. "That doesn't mean anything."

"Yes it does, Nick! Her records would have been in there!" Judy replied. "She's lying to you!"

"So she changed her name. So what?" Nick grunted, crossing his arms.

"Nick, that's not the only thing! I went to the hospital today and-"

Nick cut her off. "Why would you do that?" he asked, lowly.

"SHE HAS NO BROTHER IN THERE!" Judy blurted out. Nick stood in shock for a minute.

"Judy, why are you so against her?!" Nick snarled.

"Nick, if her real name isn't Alay Flake, then there would be no Jake Flake!" Judy shouted. "And you know what else I found out? She's been going to the hospital to see Jaws. Jaws the bear that tried to take her money!"

"Well, maybe she just wanted to check up on him," Nick snorted, trying to defend Alay.

"But apparently she shows such compassion for him. She really does care about him!" Judy replied. "She cries over him too. They must be close."

"Who told you this?"

"The animal at the front counter. He explained everything to me," Judy panted. She wanted to cry now. Why wouldn't Nick just listen to her?

"And now I'm seeing everything," Judy went on. "That whole Jaws and Alay encounter was all just an act!"

"An act? What do you mean?" Nick asked, bending towards her, narrowing his eyes even more.

"They meant for you to capture Jaws! Something wrong is just going on. I can feel it! Something is going to happen to you, Nick! And I'm scared!"

Nick snorted. "Come on, Judy. Nothing is going to happen to me. You're just making stuff up now," Nick said.

"Nick, I can see in your eyes that you're slowly seeing the things that I see," Judy whimpered, trembling.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nick muttered. "Now, it's been nice talking to you, but I've gotta go."

"No, Nick! No! Listen to me!" Judy begged, grabbing his arm as Nick began to walk away. "Don't leave! LISTEN TO ME!"

"NO!"

Nick whirled around and struck Judy in the face. Judy yelped loudly and fell backwards. She put her paws on her jaw and looked up at Nick. Her eyes widened with fear and she shook all over.

Nick looked at Judy on the ground, ashamed of what he had done. He hadn't meant to do that. Honestly. He just didn't want to hear the things that Judy said.

"J-Judy," Nick softened his voice. "I-I'm so sorry."

Judy didn't say anything. Her jaw hurt terribly from where Nick had struck her. She wanted to tell Nick that it was okay, but it wasn't.

"Judy…"

Nick helped out his paw to help her up, but Judy let out a whimpered and scurried backwards. Nick felt terrible. He didn't mean to hurt her.

"I promised myself that I wouldn't ever hurt you," Nick moaned. "But I did. And I feel terrible."

Judy panted and looked at Nick. He really did look sorry. And he looked like he was in pain. Not physically, but mentally.

"Nick," Judy mumbled, her voice muffled from her paws covering up half of her mouth. She forced herself to stand up and she walked towards Nick. She looked up at him with her big, violet eyes.

"You're scared," Judy whispered.

"No I'm not," Nick barked. But Judy could smell the fear in him.

"You can tell me anything. Everything," Judy said. But Nick shook his head.

"No, I'm fine. Really," Nick said.

"Nick, you believe me. You know that Alay is lying to you," Judy replied. "She can hurt you, Nick. She will make you feel uncomfortable from here on out. You have to listen to me. You have to leave her. She's a liar, Nick.

"The only thing you can do now is pick a choice. And this will change everything. Nick, which one will you choose: Love or duty?"

Nick whimpered. "Judy…"

"Love or duty?" Judy asked again.

"Judy, I'm not an officer anymore."

"You still are, Nick. For 2 more weeks," Judy said softly. She looked into Nick's green eyes and asked a final time, " _Love or duty._ "

Nick looked down at his feet. He let a loud whimper escape from him. He clenched his fists as the rain poured harder on them.

"I'm sorry, Judy," he finally mumbled. Slowly he turned around and walked towards the ZPD with his head down.

Judy dropped to the ground like she had just been kicked in the gut. She rested on her knees and sat in the pouring rain. Looking up at the sky with her bright violet eyes, she saw lightening flash and finally, she let the tears fall out.

 **BTW, Sorry if Finnick is a little out of character. He wasn't in the movie enough for me to catch his personality, but I'm trying to base his personality based off of other fan fictions with him in it.**


	14. Misunderstandings

**CHAPTER 14! I think that ya'll will enjoy this chapter. It's…let me not spoil it here by telling you what it is. But just have fun reading it! Sorry that it took longer than usual to update.**

 **Guests, I NEED your reviews. ;)**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

 **14**

 _Misunderstandings_

Work the next 2 weeks just weren't the same. Even though Nick still worked by her side, Judy felt as if Nick were a stranger. He never talked to her; he barely even made eye contact. Judy felt so empty inside. She didn't know how she felt, but she sure did miss the old Nick. But Nick was trapped in a love daze, though he did sense something fishy about Alay. But he ignored it. Judy swore to herself that she'd never be love blind like him.

Judy was trying her hardest to concentrate on her work, but then her mind flashed back to Nick again. She realized that in just 2 days, he'd be quitting this job, and a week after that, he'd start his new job with _her._ Judy wanted to cry, but she was so tired of crying. It never got her anywhere. It only made her feel worse, knowing that she could do nothing.

"Officer Wilde."

Judy turned her head around and saw Hermit (A German Shepherd officer.) Nick looked at him.

"Yeah?" Nick wondered.

"Ms. Alay is here to see you," Hermit barked. "Should I tell her to come another time?"

Nick nodded. Judy was surprised that he did. Usually he would have leapt to her side, but this time he wanted her to leave. Judy looked at his face. He looked stressed. Even confused. What was going on in his head?

"Nick?" Judy finally spoke. It was the first time she spoke to him since that night. Nick looked up at Judy, confused and shocked. Judy actually _spoke_ to him.

"Yeah, Carrots?"

"Well, in 2 days, I'm leaving to go see my parents," Judy explained, trembling a bit. "I was wondering if…maybe you'd want to come with me?"

Nick looked at his paws. He didn't know what to think. If Judy was inviting him, then that was a good sign. But he still didn't know. After their 'breakup,' Nick thought that Judy never wanted to see him again.

"Um…I'll have to think about it," Nick replied. Judy nodded.

"Of course," she said. "Just get back to me tomorrow."

"Alright," Nick sighed, turning back to his work. Judy almost smiled. If Nick said yes, then they'd grow back closer. They could be friends for an entire week without Alay interrupting their fun.

Nick grabbed his head in his hands and let a growl escape his lips. Judy jumped and looked over at Nick. He was struggling with something. Was he…going into another attack? Judy slowly made her way to the door. She rested her paw on the door knob and looked at him.

"N-Nick?" Judy stuttered. Nick was definitely fighting something inside of him.

"I t-think that…that it's h-happening again," Nick snarled. Judy held onto the knob and slowly began to twist it so that if Nick made his move, she could escape.

Nick used one paw to grab onto his muzzle. He held it closed as he tried to control himself. His head began to shake, but he was getting better at controlling himself. He slowly began to return back to himself. Judy began to breathe easily again and stood there for a minute, looking at Nick's back.

"Nick…you okay?" Judy asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Nick panted, clenching his paws into fists.

"Are you going into another attack?" Judy wondered. Nick shook his head.

"No, I'm just irritated with this," he replied. Judy knew that things would be okay now, so she sat back down at her desk. She was still worried for Nick's safety. She sure hoped that he wouldn't go back into another attack. When would Doctor Barns get back to Nick? Or did he already tell him and Nick never told her? Nick wouldn't go savage like Jaws, would he? If he did…

Suddenly, Judy felt something grab her shoulders. She felt pressure and let out a yelp. She turned around to see Nick, his claws on her shoulder. He glared at her and growled. But…his eyes weren't cold. Shouldn't they be cold?

Nick suddenly bursted out laughing. He let go of Judy and laughed even harder. "You should have seen your face, Carrots!"

Judy glared at Nick, furiously. Her nostrils flared as she shouted, "Nicholas Piberius Wilde!"

But Nick continued to laugh. "Oh, Carrots! This was too good! I should have videotaped it!"

Judy crossed her arms and watched Nick laugh.

"Nicholas Wilde, it's very possible that you could have been having an attack," Judy snorted. "It's not funny doing that after an attack like that."

"But it's the best time to do it," Nick chuckled. "Your mind is still thinking about the attack then."

Judy wanted to slap Nick. She felt a big urge too, but she thought that it might upset him and cause another attack. Instead she kicked him lightly in the leg.

"Get back to work, Officer Wilde," Judy sniffed with amusement in her tone. She was so close to smiling and Nick could sense that.

"Aw, but why? We were having so much fun…"

Judy suddenly felt pained. She was having fun, actually. She hadn't spoken to Nick in 2 weeks straight, and their teasing was making things more fun.

"I bet that we could continue this fun, if…" Judy trailed off.

"If what?"

"If you come to Bunny Burrow with me," Judy replied. She almost sounded like she was pleading. She looked so cute right then that Nick couldn't resist.

"Alright, fine Carrots," Nick said. "You win. I come with you in 2 days."

"Really?" Judy asked, getting excited. She nearly threw her arms around Nick, but she thought that it might make him uncomfortable, so she just smiled brightly. "You're the best, Nick!"

"I know I am," Nick winked. "Now, aren't one certain bunny and one certain fox supposed to get back to work?"

"Yeah, I suppose we are," Judy replied. She turned around in her wheelie-chair and looked at some papers scattered on her desk. She hoped that Nick and she would be able to get some action together in Nick's last 2 days working at the ZPD.

"You're thinking hard, aren't you, Carrots?"

Judy turned around to look at Nick. He had just cleared up his desk and he was standing by the door. Judy wondered why.

"Y-you're leaving? Now?"

Nick chuckled. "Carrots, have you fallen asleep and lost track of time? It's the end of my shift—our shift. It's time to go home."

Judy looked at her phone and checked the time. "Oh, yeah. I guess I did lose track of time."

Judy quickly tidied up her desk before meeting Nick at the door. She looked at him and waited for him to open the door. But he just looked down at her slyly.

"What, you think that _I_ am gonna open the door?" Nick smirked. "I can assure you that I'm no gentleman."

Judy crossed her arms and smiled. "Well, I certainly won't open it."

"Well, looks like we're stuck in here forever."

"As long as I have my left over lunch in here, then that's okay," Judy said.

"Good. But…wait! Shoot, I left mine with Clawhauser!" Nick moaned, dramatically. "I can't starve in here! Carrots, will you do me a favor and go get it for me?"

Nick gave her adorable puppy eyes. Judy tried her hardest not to laugh. She held her laugh in with a big smile. How could Nick look so cute like that?

"Mr. Wilde, you'll have to be the one to get it. I'm not responsible for your food."

Nick crossed his arms. "Well, I'm not going to get it either," he sniffed. "I guess that you want me to starve."

"Yeah, I guess that's alright with me. After all, I'm not the one starving," Judy replied. Nick bent down towards her and made his smile even more sly. Judy felt uncomfortable. Their noses were just an inch apart from touching. Wouldn't Nick feel uncomfortable like this too? But Nick just raised an eyebrow and moved quarter of an inch closer to her.

"Officer Judy Hopps, I want my lunch and you're going to get it for me," he whispered. Judy challenged his playful stare and whispered back, "Nope!" The 'P' in her 'nope' popped loudly and sent a little piece of spit landing on Nick's nose. But Nick still didn't budge. He must have enjoyed this banter after stone solid quietness for 2 weeks.

"Oh, you're not going to like the consequences," Nick replied, narrowing his eyes (while still smirking.)

"Oh, what? Are you going to eat me?" Judy asked. Nick moved even closer, their noses now just _barely_ touching. Judy's heart began to race. She began to feel even more uncomfortable, but she wasn't going to show it. Nick was having fun, and that was good.

"Yeah, I think that I will," Nick responded.

"Bring it on, Mr. W-"

Suddenly they heard their door creak open. The Officer who opened the door caught a quick glimpse of their position before Nick and Judy jumped back.

"Thank you, Officer Hermit," Nick said to the German Shepherd. "We were arguing over who would open the door and I guess that you did it for us."

But Officer Hermit ignored Nick. "Is there…something going on between the two of you?"

Judy laughed nervously. "What? Oh, no, no, no! There isn't anything going on," she said. "We're just…teasing each other. That's all."

"But you guys haven't been talking for weeks…"

"Well, we're talking now," Nick chuckled, looking down at Judy by his side. Man, did he sure miss her. That little bunny was the light of his life. He even realized that he didn't have much fun with Alay when he and Judy broke-up that night. It caused him a lot of pain and sorrow, knowing that he hurt that little bunny. But he had a feeling that things would be better now.

Judy looked up at Nick with her big, violet eyes. Finally, Nick and her were growing together again. Those past—about 12—days were probably the worst days of her life. But now her Nick was back. And she was happy. Really happy.

"Come on, let's get home," Nick said, putting his paw on Judy's back and nudging her forwards. Judy looked up at the fox and smiled, so very happy that he was back.

Hermit looked at them as they walked out. The way he saw them—so close together—he thought that there was something between them. But then again, he knew how weird those two were together. They were impossible to figure out. But everyone at the ZPD—like, _everyone_ —knew that they felt for each other. But the thing was, those two partners…they didn't know it at all.

"Someone's gotta let them know," Hermit mumbled. He shrugged and walked off, still confused with those 2.

##############################################################################

"And you'll need this, too!" Judy shouted, throwing Nick's blue Hawaiian shirt at him. Nick caught the piece of clothing and shoved it in his suit case.

"Nick Wilde, you can't just shove it in there! You have to fold it!" Judy scolded. Nick sighed and grabbed the shirt out of his suitcase. He folded it, sloppily, and placed it back in there. Judy shrugged.

"I guess that's okay," she said. "Just…try to fold better next time."

The next morning, Judy and Nick would be leaving for Bunny Burrow. Judy could hardly wait to see her parents. It had been almost 7 months since she saw them last. She remembered how excited they were when she told them that she was coming down to visit them. She could hardly hold in her excitement.

"Carrots, you're having another excitement attack," Nick chuckled. He could tell whenever she did from her big smile on her lips.

"I'm sorry, Nick. I'm just so excited!" Judy bounced up and down, squealing with delight. Nick shook his head and smiled, really amused with this moment. He had the urge to videotape her, but once he would have brought out his phone, he knew that she'd notice him and she'd stop and scold him.

"Do your parents know I'm coming?" Nick asked. Judy stopped and frowned.

"I forgot to tell them," she said. "But I'm sure that they'll be alright with you coming. After all, they aren't totally against foxes. They work with Gideon Gray who also happens to be…"

Nick cut her off. "Totally _against?_ " he asked.

"Ugh, Nick. You know what I mean," Judy replied.

"No, I really don't," Nick snorted, crossing his arms. Judy pursed her lips. She couldn't get Nick upset again.

"Well, you know parents," Judy laughed, nervously. "They are really weird and can be racist."

"Hmm…My parents never were," Nick snorted. Judy sighed.

"Nick, my parents will like you—love you! Just…they hear stories, and sometimes…sometimes they worry about foxes. But I've got them convinced that you're a good one," Judy explained.

"Oh, that I'm a _good_ one."

"Nick," Judy said. "I don't mean it like that…They just don't see the good in foxes as well as I do."

""But that's the thing, Carrots!" Nick exclaimed, throwing his arms up. "You don't! You searched Alay out because you don't trust her. Because she's a fox! What's so wrong about a fox dating a _fox?_ "

Judy sighed. "Nick, let's not go into this again," she said. She rummaged through his closet and grabbed an article of clothing. "Nick…THINK FAST!"

Then she chugged a pair of pants at him. Nick almost toppled over by trying to catch it, but the pants landed behind him and he fell back, laughing.

"Carrots, you sure are quick," he smirked, getting back to his feet.

"Aw, thank you!" Judy replied. She handed Nick some more clothes from his closet. "Hermit sure didn't believe us, you know? I mean, he thinks that we're a thing! How silly is that?"

"Well, you know dogs," Nick winked. "They always tend to smell something unusual."

"Yeah, well that _was_ pretty unusual," Judy muttered.

"What's that?"

"I um…nothing," Judy replied. "But really. This is all a misunderstanding."

"What is? The way we were bantering?" Nick wondered.

"Yeah, I guess so. He caught us, and now he's probably gonna spread the word…Just wait until Alay hears this," Judy replied. Part of her actually wanted Alay to hear this so that Alay would get mad at Nick and breakup with him. Judy didn't want Nick to be heartbroken, but it'd be better than him getting really hurt from her. Judy still knew that, somehow, Alay was going to hurt Nick.

After packing the rest of Nick's clothes, Judy plopped down on his bed. It was 9:00 p.m. and tomorrow they had to leave early.

"Well, Nick. I have to go home and get some rest for tomorrow," Judy yawned. That packing made her really tired.

"Okay. Night, Carrots," Nick said, leading her towards his door. We walked with her to the front of his apartment. They stood in the doorway and looked at each other.

"I'll be here tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. to pick you up," Judy explained.

"I'll be ready," Nick assured her.

After some awkward silence, Nick spoke up. "Um, Carrots?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks…you know. For coming back to me as an understanding friend," Nick nearly whispered.

"No, thank _you,_ " Judy said. "I can't imagine life without you."

Nick pulled Judy into a quick hug. "Neither can I, Cottontail."

After a few seconds, they pulled away. Judy punched him playfully in the stomach.

"Well, see you tomorrow, partner."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Nick responded. He watched as Judy walked out the door, carrying herself around in a little bounce. Nick quietly closed the door and sighed. Why was he doing this to her? Why was he quitting his job? He knew that being a police was what he was really good at. But his mind was made up now. And there was no going back.

 **I hope ya'll appreciated the humor in this. I figured that you guys would need some after so much drama. ;)**

 **YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! THANKS!**


	15. Flashbacks

**This chapter is a little different. Someone told me that they wished I would have gone a little slower with Judy and Nick getting back together, so I went back and kinda filled in somethings for the first part of this chapter. So it just kinda shows what was going on during their 'Breakup.'**

 **Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

 **15**

 _Flashbacks_

Nick sat in silence in his apartment. He rested his chin in his paws and huffed. What to do now? Everything was ruined. Totally ruined. And it was all his fault. He had hurt her. Why? WHY?! He clenched his paws tightly as he blamed himself. He was supposed to be a good friend…her partner! But not anymore. He felt like he had hurt himself worse when he struck Judy in the jaw. He was a _horrible_ friend.

Nick leaned back on his comfortable sofa. The comfort of it did make him feel better. In fact, it made him want to sleep. Maybe if he slept, he'd forget all that happened. Maybe he'd even forget her. After all, it would have been better if they had never met. That little bunny with big dreams…maybe he should have tried harder to crush them. After all, he wouldn't be in this mess if he just did it. But Nick knew that it was wrong, and something deep inside of him told him that he made the right choice by helping Judy out and becoming her friend.

"Nick?" He heard a knock at his door along with Alay's voice.

"Yeah? Come in," Nick grumbled. Alay twisted the door knob and pranced into Nick's apartment. She saw him sprawled out on the couch.

"Nick Wilde, what are you doing?" she asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Nick growled. "Can I not relax on my couch?"

"I don't like your attitude," Alay snorted. She set herself down beside Nick on his sofa. "Now, what's wrong?"

Nick sighed. "Remember that night? How Judy came along while you and I were walking into the ZPD and I told you to wait for me inside?"

Alay nodded.

"Well, that wasn't a fun night," Nick mumbled. "Let's just say that Judy and I…broke up."

"Oh, Nick. I'm sorry," Alay said, forcing out sympathy in her voice. Truth be told, she was very happy that Nick and her weren't friends anymore. But Nick could sense that, and part of him told him that Judy was right about all of those things she said. But Nick shrugged it off and sat up.

"Listen, you should just go home," Nick said.

"Nick…"

"Go on! Go home, Alay!" Nick growled. He was done. Done with life. Done with Alay. Done with himself.

Alay stood up. "Nick, I will not tolerate this attitude any longer! Now you will suck up whatever sorrows or concerns you have and treat me with respect!"

"You cannot tell me what to do," Nick snarled. "Get out of here, Alay."

"Nick Wilde-"

"I SAID GET OUT!"

By now, Nick was standing up in front of Alay. His brow was deeply furrowed and he was breathing heavily, showing his teeth and getting ready to growl.

Alay looked at Nick. She was scared, but she didn't show it on the outside. She had to prove to Nick that she was strong. She wouldn't cry. No, not today. This would not be the first time that Nick saw her cry…The time wasn't close enough yet. Not today.

Alay whirled around on her foot and stormed out of Nick's apartment. Nick heard her slam the door shut as loud and hard as she could possibly slam. That made Nick cringe when he heard the loud BAM! and he suddenly felt bad. He had just lost Judy, and possible Alay. But Nick realized that a lot of couples had fights. Alay would come back to him. She had to…right?

Nick sat down on his sofa and buried his head in his paws. He wanted to cry, but he was a man. He was too strong to cry. Or at least he had to be.

This was all Judy's fault. She said that Alay would hurt _him_ , but it turned out that he had hurt _her_. Nick had just hurt two of the closest people—more like, animals—to him. He was a monster. And he could never forgive himself. _Ever._

##############################################################################

Judy sat down at Icy's Café. She was all alone, but she felt pained knowing that this was where she and Nick used to hang out. This was their place…at least it was before Alay came around and stole the show. Judy gritted her teeth, thinking about that night. Nick was stubborn. But he knew that she was right. Why? Why didn't he just listen to her? Why did he have to be so love blind?

Judy stirred her Frappuccino. Part of her wished that Nick and Alay would just walk into the café right then. Wait…no. Forget Alay. Just Nick. She wanted to see him again. It had almost been a week since they spoke to each other. They did see each other at work, but they didn't even dare to make eye contact. They both felt ashamed…Well, no. Wrong. Judy didn't feel ashamed, but she knew that Nick did. And he deserved to feel that way, too. This was all his fault, but Judy knew that she couldn't put all the blame on him. She went too far. She pushed him way too far and made him feel uncomfortable. Judy didn't blame Nick for the hit he gave her. She knew that that was her fault.

Lately, Judy hadn't been doing much. She thought back on her recent life: She'd wake up early, go to work alone, work her full shift, go home, eat a little something, check her phone and social media, and then go to bed. That was all she was doing these days. And she was tired of it. Thankfully she'd be visiting her parents soon. Then she could go home and visit some old friends. That'd be fun.

Judy decided that maybe she should try to make some more friends. She did see some people at Icy's Café whenever she normally went. Maybe she should make friends with them. They seemed like nice animals. Judy looked at a group that was sitting at a table. She saw them come here a lot. The group was made up of 1 panther, 1 wolf, and 2 hares. She figured that those hares were a couple, especially with them two being the opposite gender and how they always sat so close to each other. Judy thought it was cute, and that lead her onto another subject.

A boyfriend. Many animals at the ZPD had told her that she should get one…but of course they only started mentioning it after Nick and Alay started their relationship. That vexed Judy. She realized that everyone at the ZPD thought that she and Nick were a thing. But they weren't! A fox and a rabbit. Come on! That would never work out.

Judy kind of wanted a boyfriend. After all, she did like being friends with Nick, and he was a guy. But she wanted a deeper friendship, and having a boyfriend would cause her to have a deeper one. Maybe when she went back to Bunny Burrow, she could check out any of the bunnies there…Judy shook her head. What was she thinking? Of course not! Why would she go searching for her prince charming there? After all, they'd probably want to stay in Bunny Burrow while she'd need to go back to Zootopia.

Judy watched as the two hares teased each other. As she watched them banter, she ached for Nick. Why did she have to ruin things that night? No, why did Nick have to ruin things that night. Judy shook her head as she got things wrong again. Why did _they_ have to ruin everything? Judy sighed. She wanted to cry, but she was done with that. Instead, she quietly sipped on her Frappuccino and watched the group. Maybe she should make friends with them…Judy slipped out of her booth (realizing that this was probably the first time that she got out of a booth without Nick's help) and headed for the group's booth…

##############################################################################

"Carrots," Nick yawned. "How far away is Bunny Burrow?"

"Stop complaining, Nick," Judy said. "We just left an hour ago. We probably have another 5 hours to drive."

Nick grumbled.

"Quit complaining. You wanted to come."

"Actually, you forced me to come," Nick replied. Judy rolled her eyes and suddenly felt her phone buzz in her pocket. Judy automatically slowed the car down and grabbed it out of her pocket.

"Carrots, no texting while driving," Nick told her.

"Oh," Judy said, setting her phone down. "Right."

"Hey, how about we stop at this up-coming gas station, fill up the car, and then we switch spots. Then you can check your phone," Nick suggested.

"Great idea!" Judy exclaimed. She turned right into the gas station and parked the car at a gas pump. She quickly filled up the car with another 5 gallons and then she motioned for Nick to step out of the car. Nick walked around and got into the driver's seat as Judy hopped into the passenger seat. Nick started to drive away and as he did, Judy picked up her phone.

"Oh, I got a text from Maisy," Judy said.

"Who's Maisy?" Nick wondered. He didn't remember anybody named Maisy. Even at the ZPD.

"Oh, she's someone I met at the café. She's really nice," Judy explained as she texted her friend back.

"What kind of animal is she?" Nick asked, curiously.

"She's a hare," Judy replied, quickly. "Oh, what do you know? I got one from Jed too."

"Jed?" Nick asked, suspiciously. That was a guy name. Nick started getting very curious.

"Yeah, he's a hare too," Judy explained. "He's really nice. I thought that he was Maisy's boyfriend, but he's not. Maisy already has another boyfriend. In fact, it's her fiancée!"

"Okay, so does Jed have a girlfriend?" Nick questioned.

"No, he doesn't," Judy replied. "But he's really nice. And cute."

Judy blushed as she tapped on her phone's keyboard. She smiled widely as she texted Jed back.

"Just a little curious, but what color fur does Jed have?"

Judy looked at Nick and crossed her arms. "Why do you need to know so much about him?"

"I…don't. I just…want to make sure that…"

"What? You want to make sure _what?_ " Judy asked. She was getting a little furious inside. Was Nick going to say, 'I want to make sure that he's an okay guy for you'? Because if he was going to say that, Judy would just remind him how many times she told him that about Alay.

"I just want to make sure you're happy with him," Nick smiled. "After all, looks and color _do_ matter."

Judy grinned. Nick sure was a sly fox.

"Okay, Mr. Nosey," Judy said. "He's a black hare, and he's tall and cute."

"Oh, so has he asked you out yet?" Nick wondered.

"No, not yet," Judy replied. "I don't know if he will. Barry seems to like me, but…"

"Barry? Who's Barry?"

"He's a panther," Judy snorted. "I mean, how is a panther and a rabbit relationship supposed to work out?"

"Well…" Nick thought deeply. "If you really love someone, it doesn't matter who or what they are."

Nick and Judy looked at each other for a few moments. Judy looked deep into Nick's green eyes. He was right. It didn't matter what species you were. Even a fox and a rabbit relationship could work just fine. Just…how badly would you get teased and scoffed at if two different species were a couple?

"Nick, you're about to go over the yellow line!" Judy exclaimed, snapping out of her thoughts. Nick looked at the road and swerved to the right so that they were in the middle of their lane.

"Thanks, Carrots."

"No problem."

Nick looked back at her and smiled. He realized how forgiving Judy was, unlike Alay. Alay still hadn't called him or spoke to him since that one night. But part of it was Nick's fault. When she went to see him at the ZPD, he refused to see her. He just wasn't ready to see her then, especially since he felt an attack coming. But Nick had tried to get Alay back before that…and it didn't go so well…

##################################Flashback###################################

Nick held his phone to his ear. He was shaking like crazy. He hadn't spoken to Alay in almost a week. Would she refuse to pick up her phone? Would she hang-up right away? Nick could only hope that she would be understanding.

"Hello?"

Nick heard Alay's voice. He sure had missed it. It sounded plain, a little hurt, maybe. Nick's heart raced and his paw pads became sweaty. He was really nervous.

"Hey, sweetheart," Nick swallowed. Nick heard a growl on the other end.

"Don't you dare _sweetheart_ me!" she snapped. Nick cringed as he hurt her shout in his ear from the other end of the line.

"Look, Alay. I'm…sorry," Nick whimpered. "I…hurt you. I didn't mean to…Recently I've been hurting a lot of animals…and I feel terrible."

"Well, you should, Mr. Wilde," Alay sniffed. "You deserve to feel pained. Have you ever looked into somebody's eyes to see what they're feeling before you go off hurting them?"

"I'm an idiot," Nick muttered. "I jump to conclusions, I lose my temper, and I lose…friends."

"You sure got that right," Alay growled. "I don't even know why you dared to even call me."

There was a long silence. Nick didn't know what to say. Her words hurt him, but at the same time, they were true.

"Answer me this, Mr. Wilde," Alay snarled. "Did you call me up because you are a coward? Because only a coward would call and apologize instead of going up to that animal face-to-face to apologize."

Nick sat there, trying his hardest to keep his whimper in. He didn't know what to say. Probably because he knew that he was a coward, but he just didn't want to admit it.

"That's what I thought," Alay snorted. "Goodbye, Nick Wilde. I hope to NOT see you around."

And with that, Alay hung up. Nick slowly brought the phone away from his ear. He stared into blankness. He didn't know what to do; didn't know what to feel. He just felt empty and lost.

Nick set the phone down on his coffee table. He lied back against the comforting couch and stayed in that position for what seemed like an eternity. He never ate that night. He didn't ever get up. Soon he fell asleep like that, only facing terrible nightmares about Alay and Judy.

 **I was gonna write more after the flashback, but I figured that it was a good enough ending there.**

 **Ya'll know the drill. Review, review, and REVIEW!**


	16. Meeting The Parents

**And…(Drum roll please)…..CHAPTER 16! This one was an interesting, yet easy chapter to write. I'm gonna give you guys a little break from some drama for 2-3 more chapters, and then I promise that more action and drama will be coming!**

 **(Guests, you know that I LOVE your reviews! So REVIEW!)**

 **Ya'll know the drill!**

 **16**

 _Meeting the Parents_

The drive there was long and tiresome, but they had finally reached their destination: Bunny Burrow. But they still had a 20 minute drive before they reach Judy's parents' house.

Judy was back in the driver's seat (because it was her driving shift and she knew the way to her house.) She took in all the sights of her home town. It was so welcoming and so many memories flooded back into her head. She watched as they passed her old high school and she squealed happily.

"My school," Judy said.

"That's a cute looking school," Nick replied.

"So many memories there," Judy spoke. "I remember my first prom there…that was one of the best nights that I have ever had."

"Oh…who was your date?" Nick asked curiously. "Gideon Gray?"

Judy snorted and giggled. "Highly unlikely," she said. "It was a bunny named Brandon. You should meet him. He's a nice guy."

"Oh, so you still know him?"

"Yeah, I still know him. But he's got a girlfriend."

"Aw, too bad."

"Yeah, too bad."

Judy looked at Nick and flashed him a smile. Did Nick want her to have a boyfriend? She had a feeling that he was going to find her one right here in Bunny Burrow.

"This is it!" Judy exclaimed as they pulled into the driveway. She was so excited to see her family. She parked the car and turned it off before hopping out of the driver's seat. She grabbed the keys and popped open the trunk. She and Nick grabbed their suitcases out of it and then Nick slammed it closed. They made their way to the front door. Nick was a little nervous. He didn't know how Judy's parents would treat him. Probably with hospitality—since he was a guest—but he had a feeling that they wouldn't want him there.

Judy walked forwards and knocked on the door 3 times and then pressed the doorbell. She stepped back as she waited for someone to answer the door.

"Do you think they'll mind me?" Nick wondered. "I don't want to have to be a burden…"

"Nonsense," Judy replied. "My parents will love you."

Nick gave her an unsure smile and looked back at the door as it opened up. Judy smiled widely as she saw her parents at the door.

"Judy!" Bonnie greeted. "Come on in!"

It wasn't until they were all inside the house when Bonnie and Stu noticed Nick.

"Oh…" Stu said, surprised. There was an awkward silence. Nick felt like he REALLY didn't belong there.

"We, um…didn't expect to see you here," Stu said.

Nick chuckled. He tried to sound casual, but inside, he was nervous. "Neither did I, Mr. Hopps."

Stu cleared his throat. "Where are my manners?" he smiled. "I'm Stu Hopps, but you can just call me Stu."

"Nick Wilde," Nick replied.

Stu stuck out his paw and Nick took it. They shook paws.

"Thanks Mr.-I mean, Stu," Nick replied.

Judy ran into Bonnie's arms and hugged her tightly. "Hi, Mom!" she said. "It's so good to see you!"

"Good to see you too, baby," Bonnie spoke. Stu walked forwards and pulled Judy into a hug.

"Hey, Jude the Dude," he said, saying her old nic-name. Judy snorted and hugged her dad back.

"I missed you too," Judy said. They pulled away from their hug and all muttered a few welcoming words among one another as Nick stood there awkwardly. Bonnie looked over at him and grinned.

"Welcome, Nick," she said, taking one of his paws and covering it with both of her paws. "I'm Bonnie."

Nick nodded. "So Car-Judy has said," he said. "She does speak about you guys a lot. I guess that she really has been missing you."

"We've been missing her, too," Bonnie sighed. "Judy is…one heck of a gir-woman. I keep having to remind myself that she's not our little girl anymore."

Nick let out a small laugh. "Well, ma'am, sometimes she sure does act like she still is one."

Bonnie laughed.

"That sounds like my Judy," she said, looking at Judy hugging one of her siblings. "Nick."

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for looking out for her," Bonnie said. "Sometimes…she can lose herself and act like she's that little girl in some stages of her life."

"Don't worry," Nick responded. "I'm looking out for her."

"I know she trusts you," Bonnie said. "That's why I'm telling you this. She…"

"Hey, Mom. Come here!" Judy shouted. Bonnie gave him an apologetic smile.

"We'll talk later. Why don't you come with me? Judy can't refuse you. After all, you are her partner," Bonnie smiled, walking off to the kitchen (where part of the family was.) Bonnie's words hurt Nick. She didn't know…She didn't know that next week, he'd start his new job. But…wait? Would he? If Alay wouldn't forgive him soon, then he'd stay a police officer.

"Nick, get in here!" Judy exclaimed. "We're taking a family selfie!"

Nick set on his sly smile and stood next to Stu as Judy held her arms out in front of her and snapped a picture of her, her parents, Nick, and 4 of her siblings. Judy took a couple more before lowering her arms.

"I'll send you guys the picture," Judy said to her parents. "Now…about dinner…"

##############################################################################

Nick pushed his plate back as he finished his meal of roasted carrots and cornbread. He was completely stuffed, though he only had a few carrots and 2 pieces of cornbread.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hopps for a wonderful meal," Nick said to her as she was taking dishes to the sink.

"Oh, thank you, Nick," Bonnie said. Nick stood up and walked to Bonnie.

"Here, let me help you," he said. Bonnie nodded, gratefully.

"Thank you." She handed him a stack of plates and Nick followed her into the kitchen. He gently set them in the sink and Bonnie rinsed them off. She was about to place a plate in the dishwasher, but Nick took it from her paws.

"I'll put it in," Nick told her.

"Okay."

Within minutes, the two of them had finished the chore. Bonnie leaned up against the counter and took a break (because she knew that more dishes would be coming. With +250 kids, the dishes never ended.)

"Well, Judy seems pretty happy in Zootopia," Bonnie said, trying to start some conversation.

"She is," Nick replied. "She loves her job. Even more than I do."

Nick felt hurt by his own words. It was true, because he was leaving his job…or was he?

"I remember when she was still a little 9 year old," Bonnie sighed. "Her dream was so big that no one had the heart to firmly tell her that it was impossible for a bunny to be a police officer. We did tell her in little, soft ways, but she always ignored us. And it turns out that she was right and we were wrong."

Nick nodded. "Mrs…"

"Just call me Bonnie."

"Alright then, Bonnie…" Nick felt a little weird calling her by her first name. "I'll have you know that I was guilty of that too."

"Oh?"

"Yeah…" Nick trailed off, nervously. He put his paw behind his head and went on. "You see, even when she was already an officer, I tried to crush her dreams big time. Told her that she was a dumb bunny and…"

Bonnie looked at him and crossed her arms.

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeah…" Nick chuckled nervously. "I was really the one who was a dumb fox."

"I see," Bonnie smirked. "You know, when you insult one bunny, you insult all of them. Especially his or her family."

"Oops," Nick winked. "But she got me back. Like…big time. That's actually why I'm a police officer now."

"Yes, our first fox officer," Bonnie said. "I'd like to congratulate you for that."

"No need," Nick shrugged. "That was months ago."

Bonnie took a few steps towards Nick.

"Nick, I can sense that you're a good, good man," she told him. "Your manors are a lot better than any of the bunnies that Judy has dated and…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Nick exclaimed. "We are not dating, Mrs.—Bonnie. We're just friends."

"That's not what I meant," Bonnie giggled. "What I mean is that…well I want you to know that I trust you. Yes, I trust you. A fox. There are only a few foxes that I know I can trust…"

Nick tried to cut in, but Bonnie held her paw out to cut him out.

"I don't mean it like that," she spoke. "I'm not racist."

Nick sighed in relief.

"What I mean is that…we talked about that little girl in Judy. Well, sometimes, when that little girl escapes from her, she needs to be watched over. Not like you have to stay at her apartment and watch over her all day. Just…you need to make sure that she's okay. Sometimes she may not think straight and she may not make right decisions.

"Lots of the time, that little girl comes out of her during heartbreaks. And you probably know how emotional bunnies get, but when Judy has heartbreak…"

Bonnie took a pause for a moment and shook her head. Nick took that to be a bad sign.

Finally, Bonnie spoke again. "She can break herself," Bonnie sighed. "And I don't want that to happen to my Judy. She's an extraordinary bunny with a big heart and big dreams, but when I learn that she's heartbroken…I might as well cry myself."

Bonnie took one of Nick's paws in both of her paws and squeezed it.

"I need you to look after her," Bonnie explained. "Especially if she's going through heartbreak. If she has too much heartbreak all at once, she can tear herself apart."

Nick felt guilty as Bonnie spoke those words, because he knew that he had hurt Judy before. When they had their breakup, he knew that she was really heartbroken like he was. Maybe even more.

"I will do my best," Nick replied, firmly. "Your Judy is something."

He looked over towards the kitchen and saw Judy messing around with one of her younger brothers. She then picked up a carrot and threw it at her little brother. They both bursted out laughing. Nick smiled at that.

"She is, isn't she?" Bonnie looked at her children playing with Judy. "But…I just worry for her, being in that big city." She let go of Nick's paw and sighed. Nick placed one of his paws on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'm watching out for her, remember?"

Bonnie nodded. "Yes, and you're a very good man for doing that. Judy doesn't have a very good history with foxes and I'm so glad she trusts you, because I do."

"Gideon Gray?"

"Oh, yes. She has probably told you about him. Well, he's a nice man now. We're partners, actually."

"So Judy has told me," Nick grinned. "Believe me, she's probably told me everything she knows."

"What about her boyfriend?"

Nick stopped and felt like his heart stopped. _Boyfriend?_ She never mentioned she had one before…But she didn't! Or did she? Was he here in Bunny Burrow?

Bonnie laughed. "I'm just kidding, Nick."

Nick felt relieved as he smiled. He thought that that was a pretty cruel joke, even though he didn't have feelings for Judy. He thought for a second that Judy was keeping things from him.

"Ah, you like my Judy."

"What?" Nick asked, in disbelief. "I do not! In fact, I already have a girlfriend!"

"Nick, have you ever thought over your feelings deeply?"

"Bonnie, I'm not trying to be rude, but this is my life and I know what I'm doing," Nick told her. Bonnie shrugged.

"Of course," Bonnie said. "In fact, I'm a little happy that you two aren't together…no offense. It's just…I know that you guys would get picked on and sneered at and that would be hard on you guys. Especially Judy."

Nick nodded. "Well, then it's a good thing that we're not boyfriend and girlfriend."

"But, Nick."

Nick looked at Bonnie, carefully.

"If you do ever happen to get into a relationship with my daughter, then I'll also be happy with that," Bonnie smiled. "You two can beat the ones who sneer and mock you."

"Thank you," Nick said, smiling his calm, famous smile. "Thank you for trusting and believing in me. You know, Judy is a lot like you. You both see good in me. If it weren't for Judy, then I would still be in poor conditions today. Your Judy is a strong one. She sure is a fighter."

"Indeed she is," Bonnie sighed, giving and exhausted smile. "Now, come on. Help me get some dessert. You must love blueberry pie and ice cream."

Nick's eyes lit up at the mentioning of blueberries.

"Yes ma'am, I sure do!" Nick grinned widely. He helped Bonnie grab some paper plates and the dessert and together, they walked back into the dining room.


	17. The Call

**A/N: Hey guys. Sorry that it took so long to update this chapter. It was a bit of a harder chapter to write, so…yeah.**

 **I'd like to thank my guest readers: GoldyX, Fox of Knowledge, and all the other ones I forgot to add in. ;)**

 **Everyone, review! ;)**

 **17**

 _The Call_

"So, Nick, how did you sleep?" Stu asked the next morning at breakfast. Nick had wonderful sleep, actually. Judy's parents gave him Judy's older brother's room to stay in (since he moved out of the house.) It was really cozy and just the right size for Nick (though he did have to bend down a little to get through the doorway.)

"Sleep came to me wonderfully last night," Nick answered. He had no nightmares, no troubled thoughts, and no nothing. Nick felt great that morning. Maybe Bunny Burrow was just the remedy for a good sleep. Nick chuckled inwardly from that thought.

"I'm glad to hear that," Stu said, sipping his coffee. Only he and Nick were sitting down at the breakfast table. Bonnie was in the kitchen, making carrot pancakes (only having to centuple the recipe.) Judy was still in bed—which surprised Nick because she'd normally be up hours ago.

"So…how's Judy doing on the police force?" Stu wondered. "I know that she's proud of her job."

Nick set down his coffee mug. "She sure is," Nick replied. "Though she is missing the action part of the job."

"Oh, yes she would," Stu said. "And if something doesn't go Judy's way for too long…"

"Oh, boy…" Nick mumbled. "Believe me, it's not fun. I actually…"

Nick stopped. What he was about to say would ruin his entire relationship with her parents. How could he tell Stu that Judy and him got in a fight one time when nothing went her way and Nick had hurt her?

"You what?"

"I had to go through that plenty of times," Nick replied, smoothly. "And lots of the time it was about our job and not getting action."

"Ah, Judy is a mystery."

"You can say that again."

Just then, Judy walked into the room wearing a light purple blouse and a short, black skirt. But one thing that surprised Nick was the small blue bow on her ear. Nick had never seen her dress like that before and it was cute.

"Ugh, I feel so young!" Judy complained. _Oh, so Judy didn't want to dress like that?_ Nick wondered to himself.

"I know, but you remember how much Grandma loves you looking like that. Just for one day, Judy," Stu told her. Judy let out a moan and sat beside Nick. She rested her elbows on the table and put her chin in her paws. She didn't even have to look at Nick to know what he was thinking.

"Don't you dare laugh," she hissed, glaring at the table and not daring to look at Nick.

"H-how did you-"

"Nicholas Wilde, I can smell your feelings."

"You can…WHAT?"

"I'm just kidding." Judy looked up at him. "But I can sense when you're about to laugh or when you're smiling."

"Oh," Nick replied. "So…um…you're seeing your grandma today?"

"Yep, and you're coming with me."

"W-what?" Nick spat out a bit of his coffee. "I have to meet your grandma? I mean…do I have to meet the entire family? I mean…I'M A FOX!"

"Yeah, so?" Judy wondered.

"I mean, if we go together to see your grandma, she'll think that we're in a relationship!"

"Don't worry, grandma knows that I wouldn't date a fox. I'll also explain to her though, just in case," Judy replied.

"Okay, good," Nick sighed.

Judy began to giggle.

"Nick Wilde, you're one panicky fox."

Nick huffed and rolled his eyes. "Okay, so I am. But…I'm still getting used to the house! I mean, I still have to meet all 250+ kids! What's next? Your carrot farm? What about your aunts and uncles? Wait…do I have to meet your ex's? What about-"

"Nick."

Nick stopped talking and looked at Judy.

"Yes, you'll have to meet all of my siblings, the family carrot farm, my aunt and uncles, my exes and everything else!"

Judy was so amused with Nick's face. "That's why we're here for a week! Gosh, Nick. How dumb can you get?"

Stu bursted out laughing. He set his coffee mug down and nearly fell out of his chair from his laughter. Little tear drops gathered up in the corners of his eyes. But Nick wasn't amused.

"Judy, can we talk for a second? Like, in private?"

"Sure," Judy replied. "Let's go outside and take a walk. Then we can walk to grandma's house and I can show the other things in my town like my carrot farm, aunts and uncles, exes…"

Nick took her paw and pulled her up. "Come on, Car—Judy," Nick said, saving himself from saying that nic-name. It wouldn't be very appropriate in front of her parents to call her 'Carrots.'

Judy and Nick started walking down on the side of the road. It wasn't a very busy one, so technically they could walk on it, but they didn't.

"It's beautiful out here," Nick commented.

"Yeah, I miss it," Judy sighed. Nick stopped and stood in front of Judy.

"Look…Judy."

Uh-oh. That didn't sound good. He called her by her real name. He only did that in serious situations.

"Huh?" Judy asked.

"Maybe you should…stay here. You know…"

Judy crossed her arms and thumped her foot. "No, I don't know. Go on."

"I mean, you're closer to your family here, you miss them terribly…It's safer out here, and…"

"And I would quit my job just to live out in this wide open space? Nick, I'm an officer of the law! I've been stationed in the heart of Zootopia. I'm not going to leave!"

"I don't mean that…You could be an officer here in your hometown."

"With far less action? No way, Nick!"

"But Judy, you don't know how dangerous Zootopia is! Every single moment in your life, you're in danger! And it's only going to get worse."

"Are you trying to crush my dreams again, Nick?" Judy snapped.

"Maybe I should have totally crushed them on our first encounter!" Nick snarled. "After all, I wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you!"

"What mess?"

"You caused me to breakup with Alay!"

"Well, good. That vixen was a filthy, lying, no good…"

"Fox?" Nick cut in. "WHY DO YOU HATE FOXES?!"

"I don't, Nick!" Judy almost screamed. "You weren't the one who was worried for you! I was trying to look after you!"

"Well, maybe I don't need to be looked out for!" Nick growled.

"Well, then! I guess you won't be needing me as your friend anymore!" Judy shouted.

"Fine!" Nick barked.

"FINE!" Judy repeated. The bunny whirled around and faced her back towards Nick. She felt the tears burning in her eyes, but she blinked them away and balled her paws into fists. She was so done with Nick. Recently, all he had been trying to do was bring her down! But why? Did Alay convince him to do that? Well, at least they broke up.

Judy started running down the street in anger. She didn't dare to look back at Nick. He was probably standing there, feeling all steamy. But maybe he was regretting it…But Judy wasn't going to look back and see.

##############################################################################

"Judy, dear," the old bunny spoke. "I'm so glad that you could make it."

"Hi, Grandmamma," Judy replied, sitting down on the sofa in her Grandma's living room.

"How have you been?"

"Pretty okay," Judy replied. "Except…"

"Except what?" her grandma wondered.

"I wish that Nick could meet you, that's all," Judy replied. "He's that fox that I told you about."

"Oh, him. Yes. What happened to him?"

"He's busy," Judy lied.

"In Bunny Burrow?" her grandma asked, curiously. "Judy, dear. You're lying to me. Tell me the truth. You can always trust Grandmamma."

"Oh, Grandma!" Judy nearly sobbed. "Nick and I got in another fight!"

"Another?" her grandma raised her eyebrows.

"Recently, we've been getting into fights…a lot…"

"And yet you get back together?" her grandma asked.

"Yeah…we do," Judy stuttered. She was shaking by now. Why was Nick changing and acting like this? What was going on between them? "I don't know, Grandma. Nick is a really great guy—at least he used to be. But he's recently been changing in little ways…I don't know how to explain it, but it's ruining our friendship. Just before I came here, he was saying how I shouldn't be a police and how he should have crushed my dreams the first time he saw me. But that's not Nick! Nick would never say something like that! Nick…he…he…"

Judy felt the tears brimming in her eyes again. But she couldn't cry! Not now and not ever. Why did she have to be such an emotional bunny?

"I think that you should go and talk to him," her grandma said.

"Talk to him? He won't want to see me! He'll just growl or snap at me and tell me that we're over," Judy sniffed.

"But you manage to get back together after fights, you say?"

"Well, yeah…But not this time. This time we swore that our friendship is over. He said he didn't need me and I said I didn't need him!"

"Well, we both know that that's not true."

"It is, Grandma. I don't need…that fox."

"Judy." Her grandma took her paw. "The way you're talking about him proves that you need him. And Nick needs you, too."

Judy shook her head and looked at her feet. "He doesn't need me, Grandmamma. I need him, but he doesn't need me, nor want me. He's…he's scared of me, I think. I mean, he's quitting the police force just to work with his ex-girlfriend—who I doubt he even broke up with."

"He needs you, too."

Judy's violet eyes met her Grandma's hazel ones.

"You think so?"

"I know so."

Judy let a smile on her face.

"Judy, dear. Avoid getting in fights with him. You may be upsetting him if you're fighting back. Try to calm him down next time he argues with you."

Judy nodded. "Thanks, Grandma."

Judy hugged her tightly. "Thanks, Grandma. You make things better." When they departed, Judy sighed. "I wish Nick could meet you, though."

"Judy, go get him. Apologize and bring him back here to meet me—as long as he's no Gideon Gray."

Judy laughed at that. "Of course not, Grandma. He's a nice, funny guy. Besides, Gideon isn't that bad anymore."

"I know, sweetheart," her grandma smiled. "Now, go. Go find Nick and bring him back here. I must meet that man."

Judy stood up and set a kiss on her cheek. "I'll be back, Grandma!"

"Don't keep me waiting for too long."

"I won't!"

Judy then left the house.

##############################################################################

Nick was sitting down on 'his' bed in 'his' room. He was pouting majorly, regretting everything he said back there. He didn't expect Judy to act like that. He just…wanted to help. If she stayed here, he wouldn't have to cause her anymore heartbreak. But apparently Judy didn't like his idea. But he never even told her the real reason why. He couldn't say, "Judy, you need to stay here so that I can't cause you heartbreak." That would ruin _everything._

Nick felt like a fool—and a loser. He didn't deserve to be here. He didn't deserve to be on the police force. He didn't deserve anything he had. He had screwed up majorly.

Suddenly, Nick's phone rang. Nick's ears perked up as he grabbed his phone out of his pocket. He looked at the number and saw that it was Alay! Why would she be calling? And now?

"Hello?" Nick asked. He heard some loud sobbing.

"Nick, I'm sooooo sorry!" Alay cried. Nick felt bad and his ears drooped. He wished that he was there right now by Alay's side to comfort her.

"Hey, it's okay," Nick comforted.

"No, it's not okay!" Alay shouted. "I messed up and I hurt you!"

"I think you mean it the other way around," Nick replied. "I messed up and hurt _you._ "

"I pushed you too far."

"And I snapped at you when you did nothing."

There was a short silence. Nick heard Alay sniffle and he felt bad for making her cry.

"It was both of our faults," Alay said. "I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry, Nick. Know that I love you."

"I love you too," Nick replied. "More than words can say."

"I'm glad to hear that," Alay spoke, her sobs subsiding. "Where are you?"

"At Bunny Burrow with Judy," Nick said. "She wanted me to meet her family."

"How sweet," Alay said, surprisingly kind. "Are you ready to start our job next week?"

"Yep," Nick said. "I really am."

"Well, I have to go," Alay said. "Goodbye Nick. I love you."

"Bye, Alay," Nick barked. He pulled the phone away from his ear and ended the call. He almost shouted out in joy. Alay and him were good now. Very good. Nothing could get between them again. Well, of course they'd have a couple of fights, but they'd be understanding. Hopefully…

"Nick?"

The fox heard Judy's muffled voice and a knock.

"Yeah?" Nick asked, maybe just a little too cheerfully. "Come in, Carrots."

Judy slowly opened the door and slipped in. She saw Nick with a great big grin spread across on his muzzle. Judy was a little confused by why he could be so happy.

"Hey, Carrots," Nick said, setting on his smooth smile. Judy walked up closer.

"Hi…Nick…" Judy nearly whispered.

"Well, don't be shy. Come on, sit by me."

Judy was really confused now, but she did as Nick said. She sat beside him on the bed and looked at her dangling feet.

"What has you in a good mood?" Judy wondered.

"Um…Alay just called," Nick said. "It seems as if we're back together!"

"That's…good…" Judy said. "But…um…"

"Don't worry, Carrots. I'm sorry too."

Judy looked up into Nick's green eyes and saw the truth in them. Judy looked back at her feet, but she felt something grab her paw. She looked at it and saw both of Nick's paws over her right paw.

"Why are we fighting like this?"

"I don't know," Judy mumbled. "I just wish…wish things would go back to normal. But that can't happen. Ever since Alay entered into your life—which isn't a bad thing, Nick—things have been changing. Maybe that's why we get into fights. It's because of these…changes."

"Changes…" Nick said. "The word makes me think of bad news, but it really can be a good thing. Maybe we're fighting because we see each other too often."

Judy snorted. "Nick, you've got to be kidding."

Nick laughed. "Well, don't tell me that you're not sick of me. I mean, come on. I'm pretty obnoxious and annoying."

"Yeah, you are," Judy grinned, punching him in the arm. "And what about me?"

"You're um…You're…" Nick let out an uncertain chuckle. "I'm not sure you want to hear it come from my mouth."

Judy crossed her arms and smirked. "Try me."

Nick breathed in deeply. "Well…you're really…moody."

"Moody!" Judy repeated. "Nick Wilde!"

"Well, I told you-"

Nick couldn't finish his sentence because Judy had pushed him off of the bed. He landed on his side and rolled onto his back, only to see Judy leaping towards him. She grabbed his wrists, kneeling above him, her smile full of pride. She had him pinned.

"Want to know what I'm going to do, Nick Wilde?"

"Um…yes? No?"

"I'm going to make you take that back."

"Oh, really? How?" Nick had to admit, he was trembling. He was pretty nervous because of how close Judy was getting to him. Her nose was almost touching his. This was almost the exact replay of them at their officer…except they were on the ground.

"Oh, I don't know," Judy whispered, narrowing her eyes and smirking. "Maybe I should…hmm…what should I do?"

"Yeah, what can a bunny do to me?" Nick smirked.

"Oh, you're so going to pay for that!"

Judy lightly kneed him in the chin, but while she did that, she loosened her grip on one of his wrists and Nick pushed Judy off of him (with his free arm.) Judy landed on her side and sniffed, glaring at the fox. Nick rolled away from her as Judy crawled towards him. She grabbed hold of his tie and tugged on it, stopping Nick from escaping. She grabbed one of his wrists and held it down to the ground. Nick yelped when he felt her pressure. She was getting a little rough.

As Judy reached for his other wrist, Nick's phone rang. Judy let go of Nick and sat up, grinning.

"Sly fox."

"Dumb bunny."

Nick reached over and grabbed his phone on the bed. He picked up the call and put the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" he asked. He had no idea what this number was.

"Ah, Nick Wilde. It's me, Doctor Barns."

"Hey, Doc. What's new?" Nick asked, coolly.

"Well, I don't want to upset you, Nick, but…remember Jaws?" the badger wondered, nervousness in his voice.

"Yeah. How could I forget him?" Nick chuckled. "He almost killed me."

"Well, Nick…he died."

Nick's eyes widened and his heart pounded rapidly. A knot formed in his throat, but he gulped it down.

"W-what? How?"

"Well…I, um…never found a cure for his savageness. But…don't fret, Nick. I tested your blood and you only have a small infection in you. You won't go savage like the bear. I will find the cure so that your attacks will stop coming. But that means we'll need to meet up more often."

"But that means…more finger pricks."

Doctor Barns chuckled. "Be a man, Nick. They're not _that_ bad."

"Have you ever had one before?"

"Well, yes…and…let's get off the subject. The point is, I don't want you to worry yourself about this death. Things will turn out all right for you. I promise."

"T-thanks, Doc," Nick replied. "Well, I um…gotta go. I'll talk later."

"Alright. Bye, Nick." Doctor Barns hung up. Nick slowly brought the phone away from his ear. He looked down at the ground, shaking a little.

"Nick?" Judy asked, softly. She put her paw on his arm. "What is it?"

Nick slowly looked up at her with his green eyes. They were full of fear and concern. Judy felt as if he heart stopped something was definitely wrong.

"Jaws died."

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **There are a few songs that you should look up that remind me of the movie Zootopia.**

 **Wild as the Wind by Garth Brooks. Reminds me of Judy believing in Nick and making him a better man**

 **On Top Of the World by Imagine Dragons. Just reminds me how Judy knows she can be what she wants or whatever.**


	18. Carrot farms, Relative, and Exes Oh my!

**A/N: Gosh, it took FOREVER to update! I'm sorry, I really am. Maybe it wasn't that long, but for me it seemed long. It was just too long…But anyways, here is your update! Guests, please continue to review. You're all the best!**

 **18**

 _Carrot farms, relatives, and exes. Oh my!_

"Nick, it's gonna be alright," Judy whispered. They were still on the wood floor in 'Nick's' room from when they were wrestling. 10 minutes had passed since that call and Nick hardly even moved. Judy was worried for him.

"Nick?"

Judy still didn't move her paw from his arm after all those minutes. Nick kept on mumbling thinks like, "Jaws is dead" and "What's going to happen?" But Judy could hardly make out any of his words.

"Nick, it's okay," Judy whispered, her paw still on his arm. He was trembling greatly and Judy didn't know what to do.

"Nick, calm down. Remember what Doctor Barns said. You're not infected like Jaws. Nothing bad will happen."

"Nothing bad will happen?" Nick finally looked at her, his eyes lost. "NOTHING BAD WILL HAPPEN?!"

Judy watched as those beautiful, green eyes of his changed into ice—which sent her shivering. _Not again,_ she thought. Judy let go of his arm and scooted back on the hardwood floor, slowly.

"N-Nick, stop," Judy said softly. She was taking her grandma's advice: To try to stay calm when he got mad. But it was pretty hard for a little bunny.

"What's the matter, rabbit? Are you afraid?" Nick growled. Judy looked at the fox and shook her head as an idea struck in her mind. She wanted to try something.

"'Course not, you dumb fox." She struggled to fake a grin, but at Nick's roar and leap, it was impossible to stay put on the ground and smile. Judy rolled away from his clutches, but she didn't scream in fear.

 _Okay, obviously not the right thing to say, stupid Carrots. Wait…did I just call myself Carrots?_

"Nick, you sly fox," Judy mumbled. "A-are you…do you…"

Thankfully, the coldness began to wear away. Nick sat in a daze before realizing what just happened.

"Oh no," he moaned. "Judy…Carrots, I-"

"Shh," Judy shushed. "Don't say anything."

Nick scooted towards the bunny and threw his arms around her, trying so hard not to cry. Judy held onto him and kept shushing his discomforted grunts.

"Oh, my fox," Judy spoke. "Everything will be alright. Things will turn out almost perfectly in the end."

"What do you mean 'almost'?"

Judy heard the humor in his voice and smiled.

"Fine. Things _will_ turn out _perfectly._ Just perfectly," the bunny corrected herself, hugging the fox even tighter.

"That's what I thought."

In the middle of their big embrace—a kind that Judy hadn't shared with Nick in months—the bedroom door swung open and Bonnie and Stu stood in the doorway. Judy and Nick looked up at the same time and pushed apart from each other. Nick smiled awkwardly while Judy sat there, blushing.

"W-well," Bonnie stuttered. "We were going to invite you guys to come downstairs for dinner, but…"

"Oh, whoa! No, no, no!" Judy threw her arms in the air. "Mom, it's not what you think! N-Nick, he…he already has a girlfriend! He was just…"

"Judy, stop slurring your words," Stu commanded. Judy stopped her running mouth and inched farther away from Nick. She finally stood up and motioned for Nick to stand too.

"Can you explain what just happened?" Stu wondered. Nick looked at Bonnie for help—since she'd understand. Bonnie gave her an 'I'm sorry, but I can't' kind of smile. Nick slumped his shoulders as Stu crossed his arms, looking at the two.

"Sir, I can explain," Nick said, taking a few steps forwards. But Stu held his paw out and Nick stepped back.

"I want to know what's going on," Stu said. Bonnie gave Nick a sympathetic look. She was the only one who understood.

"Dad, he just hugged me. That's all," Judy said.

"That was more than a hug." Stu looked at them again, curiousness and grimness in his gaze. "Nick Wilde, explain."

"We were just hugging as friends!" Nick exclaimed.

"On the ground, holding each other like a couple?"

 _Oh, man. Did it really look like that?_ Nick wondered. He felt his paw pads sweat as he stood there, nearly shaking.

"Sir, I already have a girlfriend and I wouldn't betray her or cheat on her and cause your daughter heartbreak," Nick panted, ranting on. "Judy is just a good friend and we were just hugging."

"Nick Wilde, I would like to know the truth."

"But that is the truth!" Nick exclaimed. "What's so wrong about hugging your daughter?"

"What's so wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong," Stu sniffed. "You, you, you…you lying fox! You're gonna cause my little girl heartbreak and I don't want any fox near her or dating her!"

"DAD!" Judy shouted, taking some steps forwards. "Why in the world would you say that?!"

"Judy, stay away from that fox. I don't know what he's doing, but I don't like it!" Stu snorted. But Judy was being rebellious and stepped towards Nick. She rested her paw on his arm and glared at her dad.

"I'm not leaving him." She gritted her teeth.

"Judy Hopps! Get over here right now and leave that…that…that _thing_ alone!"

Judy stared at Stu in disbelief. "That _thing?_ What is wrong with you?!" Judy was nearly crying. "I'm 24, Dad! I'm an adult and I can make my own decisions!"

"Not in my house, you don't!"

"Then I'm leaving!"

"I will not allow that!" Stu grumbled. Bonnie looked at her mate and put her paw on his shoulder.

"Stu…" she spoke. But he pushed her paw off.

"Not now, Bonnie," he growled. Bonnie looked at him in disbelief and took a few steps back, watching the fight, helplessly.

"What is your problem?" Judy snapped.

"That _fox_ is my problem!" Stu spat. "I don't trust him! I never have. Foxes…the only good and safe fox I know is Gideon Gray."

Stu looked at Nick with his brow deeply furrowed. "Get out of my house, fox." The hate and venom was so strong in his voice that Nick wanted to break down and cry. He felt so bad. Things just weren't going well for him.

Nick shrugged Judy's paw off of his arm and marched out of the room with strange emotions filling inside of him. Once he reached the stairs, he raced down them and ran out of the Hopps' house, tears burning his eyes. But he couldn't cry. He was a grown man.

"Nick!" Judy called, the tears dripping out of her eyes. She glanced over at her dad with a strange look in her eyes that Bonnie and Stu never seen in her before: Hate. Complete and utter hate for Stu. Stu looked at his daughter and gulped. Would she…arrest him? Heck, no. That'd be stupid and illegal.

"I cannot believe you," Judy whimpered, staring at the floor. "All this time, I've been telling Nick that my parents would love him and that you wouldn't be racist towards foxes."

Judy looked at Stu again with hate filling in her eyes. "I guess I was wrong."

She pushed passed Stu and stomped out of the room, following Nick out of the house.

#####################################################################################################################

Judy eventually found Nick sitting on the side of the road; the same road that they both fought on. Judy slowly walked up to the hurt and broken fox that was staring at the ground, his face blank and hiding any emotion.

"I guess I screwed up," Nick said, hearing Judy advancing towards him. Judy sat down next to Nick and shook her head.

"You did nothing to deserve that," she replied. "You are a good, good man. My dad just can't see that. He was…jealous, I think. I don't think that he wants me to date a fox."

"But we aren't dating!" Nick threw his paws in the air. "Why wouldn't he believe me?"

"Because we didn't tell the entire truth."

Nick met her eyes and his slowly widened. "We can't tell him about my issue! That'd make him hate me even more and he'd be terrified of me!"

The fox looked at the ground and let a whimper out. "In fact, I'm scared of myself."

"Oh, Nick," Judy whispered, taking his paw in hers. She squeezed it and let a tear roll down her cheek.

"Know that I love you and that I'm always here if you need me. I'll always be by your side, no matter what happens."

"Even if I go savage?"

The word and the way Nick said it made Judy jump. But that was impossible. Nick couldn't go savage, could he?

"Come on, Nick. I promised my Grandma that we'd go see her. She's been waiting for a while," Judy said, standing up. Nick looked up at the cute bunny and shook his head.

"She won't want to see a predator like me."

"Nick Wilde, don't you talk like that! Adjust your attitude and come with me!" Judy commanded. Nick smiled and stood up next to Judy. He ruffled her head and chuckled.

"You're too cute, Carrots. Too cute."

Judy whacked his paw off of her head and snorted. "Come on, Officer Wilde. We've got a case to solve.

##############################################################################

"Well, it was nice meeting you Mrs. Hopps," Nick said to Judy's Grandma at the end of their visit. "You have a nice, little home."

"Why, thank you Nick," her grandma smiled. "You're welcome anytime."

"Literally?"

She nodded. "Honestly. Anytime you're in town, even without Judy, just come on in."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hopps," Nick smiled. He hugged the small rabbit and as they pulled away, Judy's grandma set a kiss on his furry cheek.

"Take care, Nick. And…don't mind Stu. He'll calm down and apologize, I just know it. My son may act as hard as a stone on the outside, but inside, he's like a plush toy."

"Thanks," Nick said. He watched as Judy walked up to her grandma, hug her, kiss her cheek, and smile.

"Bye, Grandma. I'll visit you soon," Judy promised.

"Good, good," Grandma said. "Take care, Judy."

With those last words, Grandma shut the door and left Nick and Judy on her doorstep.

"Man, I love your grandma," Nick grinned.

"Good, because she loves you too."

Nick nodded and looked at his feet. Recently, he didn't feel loved by anyone. The only animals who loved him were Alay and Judy. He didn't think that Bonnie loved him, but he knew that she liked him and that she understood him. And he liked her a lot, too.

"Where to now?" Nick wondered. "Maybe we should find a hotel for me and…"

"Nick, you're staying at my house," Judy firmly replied. "Ignore my dad."

"Are you sure? I don't want either of us to get in trouble…"

"Relax. We're officers. My dad isn't even close to the hardest criminal to deal with," Judy smirked.

"Oh, you're calling your dad a criminal?" Nick smiled, smoothly.

"He sure acts like it."

They both giggled and walked down the road.

"But really. Where to next?"

"My carrot farm."

##############################################################################

Judy wasn't kidding about going to the family carrot farm. They did go and nobody was there, so Judy and Nick walked up to the stand where Judy snuck a few blueberries for Nick to eat. Then she grabbed a carrot for herself and began to munch on it.

Judy and Nick sat by the side of the road right in front of the farm stand. There they munched on their late afternoon snacks as they watched a few cars zoom by.

"Gosh, these blueberries are heavenly."

"Oh, I'm sure," Judy winked, taking another bite out of her carrot.

"Here, Carrots. Take a blue berry."

Nick tossed one to her and Judy caught it with her mouth. It got mixed up with her chewed up carrot—which was an interesting texture and flavor.

"I can't believe that your dad let you come after me," Nick said.

"Um…yeah…"

"You hate him, don't you?"

Judy looked up at Nick with tears coating her eyes. "I don't want to, but it just comes naturally. I thought my dad would like you and understand."

Nick rested his paw on her shoulder. "It's O.K., Carrots. We all make mistakes."

"Oh, so you're saying I made a mistake?"

"Hmm…Did I say that? My mistake," Nick grinned, then caught himself. "You see? I just made a mistake!"

Judy laughed and choked on her carrot. She sputtered and spit it out, continuing to laugh. Nick smiled at her and shoved another blue berry in his mouth.

"You know, it's really peaceful out here," Nick said.

"Yeah, it is."

If it weren't for Alay being his girlfriend and if it wasn't awkward for a bunny and a fox to date, Judy would have rested her head on Nick's shoulder. But that wasn't appropriate. Instead she stood up and looked down at Nick.

"Come on, there's still some one else to meet."

"What do you mean?" Nick wondered, standing up.

"It's time to meet my ex."

"Well, we're here," Judy breathed, standing on her ex's doorstep. "It's just been so long since we've talked. I don't even know what to say, don't even know how to introduce you, I don't even know how he'll take this and-"

"Carrots." She stopped. "It'll be fine."

Judy sighed. "Okay, okay. Here goes nothing."

Judy knocked on the door and waited for her ex to answer the door. Surprisingly, he answered almost right away. The black bunny's eyes grew wide and his mouth almost gaped open.

"Judy?"

"Hey, Spud. How are you?" Judy asked, cheerfully.

"G-good. I, um…didn't expect to see you here. I mean, I heard you were in town, just…come in, come in!" Spud stuttered.

"Oh, no. I couldn't. I prefer staying out here on this porch. I just came to say hi," Judy said. "Oh, and this is Nick. My partner in crime."

"Well, your partner who stops crimes," Nick winked. He held his paw out for Spud to take. The bunny was a little hesitant, but he eventually took it and they shook paws.

"Don't worry, I don't bite," Nick said.

"That's a good thing," Spud said, closing the front door. "So…Judy. How have things been?"

"A little rough, I will say, but they're going good. My job is pretty awesome and Nick just makes it better and more interesting," Judy replied. "What about you."

"Well…I'm actually engaged."

"Really? No way!" Judy smiled brightly and threw her arms around her ex. "This is wonderful news, Spud! Who's the lucky girl?"

"Brittany."

Judy's jaw dropped open and her eyes widened. "BRITTANY?!"

Spud nodded and started laughing. "Yeah! I thought you knew…she didn't tell you, did she?"

"NO!" Judy exclaimed. "How could my best friend not tell me that she was engaged? That good for nothing…"

"Who's Brittany?" Nick cut in.

"She was—is—my best friend! We've know each other since middle school," Judy explained. "Where is she, Spud?"

"Out of town. It's a shame you can't see her," he said.

"Well, I'll just have to come to the wedding."

"Of course," Spud replied. "And you can bring Nick too. He's…nice."

"Nah, I'm not. I'm a jerk."

"Really? Because Judy doesn't become friends with jerks," Spud chuckled. Nick looked at him and started laughing. Then Spud started laughing. Judy just looked at her friends cracking themselves up for no absolute reason. What was so funny about that?

"Well, I have to go inside before I burn the house down with my terrible cooking skills. Brittany is teaching me how to cook and she's making me cook a meal every day," Spud said. He walked up to Judy and hugged her and then shook paws with Nick. "It was nice to see you Judy. And it was nice to meet you, Nick."

"Same for you," Nick replied. "Bye, Spud."

Spud nodded and closed the door.

The fox and bunny walked off of his porch and began to walk away together.

"Spud's a good guy," Nick commented.

"He meant it by saying you could go to their wedding," Judy said.

"I doubt it."

"I bet it."

Nick shook his head. "Okay, okay. You can be right, I can be wrong. Or vice-versa. But…I'm hungry. How about we go home and get some delicious dinner from your mom?"

"Okay," Judy said. "Let's just hope that my dad is in a good mood by then…"

##############################################################################

"Nick? Judy?" Stu wondered as he heard the door open up. He saw them walk through the door with uneasy faces. Stu felt his stomach churn as his guilt kicked in. He walked up to them, looking at the floor. Nick became nervous as he saw Stu walk towards them. Judy felt burning hatred inside of her. They were all feeling something.

"I wanted to, uh…apologize for how I was acting," Stu explained. "I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry, Nick, for those terrible things I said about you. I swear that I didn't mean them. It's just…I'm very protective about my daughter and who she hangs out with. Can you…forgive me, maybe?"

Nick looked at the ground, feeling a bit guilty, even though he didn't do a thing. He wasn't very good about being forgiving when he was younger, but he wasn't like that now. He had to do the right thing and take away the guilt from Stu.

"Yeah, I forgive you."

Stu looked up at Nick with a smile on his face. Nick didn't know what to do. Neither did Stu. But it seemed as if they both had the same thought as Nick bent down and hugged Stu.

"Thank you, Nick. I'm a terrible bunny. And a terrible father."

"It's okay, Mr. Hopps. We all make mistakes sometimes."

Judy smiled as she watched them hug. When they broke apart, Stu walked up to his daughter.

"Can you forgive me, too, for being a bad dad?"

"Of course, Dad!" Judy ran into his arms. "I love you so much."

"Love you too."

They pulled apart and the three of them looked upon each other. "Come, now," Stu said. "Bonnie has dinner ready. Let's go eat."

Nick and Judy followed Stu into the dining room and ate a marvelous meal of tacos and applesauce. Nick loved every bit of it and he nearly ate his entire plate.

After dinner, Nick and Judy sat in the backyard grass, enjoying the sunset. It was a nice, breezy, early summer night and Judy enjoyed the silence. But, however, not for long.

"Nick! Nick!"

Judy and Nick both recognized the sound of Judy's siblings' voices. They came running out towards them with bright smiles on their faces.

"Nick," said Judy's younger sister (who was probably about 8.) "Can you play with us?"

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease?" the other—about 10—whined. Nick couldn't resist their eyes and he couldn't say no, so he sighed and said, "Alright, alright."

The 10 bunnies all squealed with delight and pulled Nick up. Judy smiled at Nick with a sparkle in her eyes.

"Go have fun," Judy said.

"Yeah, I'll try," Nick replied, smiling slyly. He followed the kids—where they led him to the other side of the yard. Judy watched curiously, wondering what game they wanted to play with him.

"Alright," said a brown-gray mixed fur girl—who was probably 11—said. "We're gonna play 'Run from the monster!' Basically you just chase us around on all fours and if you get one of us, that animal is out. The last bunny standing is the next monster for the next round. Get it?"

"Yep," Nick replied. "When do we start?"

"Now," she said. "GO!"

The bunnies shot off in all different directions that Nick didn't know where to start. They were so quick and he had to be on all fours chasing them, so it'd be hard. But he found a slower bunny. He was fatter than the rest and he was probably about 10 years old. Nick remembered that being a difficult age for him. Those years followed his 'muzzle' episode and things just got worse from there on…

Anyways, Nick decided to go after the fat one. It was hard at first to run on all fours, but he soon got the hang of it and was racing after the bunny. He got really close and gently snapped at the bunny's butt. The bunny screamed and laughed and ran even faster.

Judy watched with delight in her eyes. Nick was really good with children. She knew that one day, whoever he would marry, that he'd be a great father.

Nick grabbed the fat bunny and pulled him down to the ground. There was a loud thump as the bunny hit the ground, roughly, but Nick was oblivious to his roughness. He found a group of 3 bunnies and ran after them, growling. The 3 bunnies let out little screams and tried to escape from Nick, but he grabbed them one by one and pushed them down to the ground. Judy heard one start to cry and that's when she realized Nick was getting a little too rough.

Nick ran after the other 6, panting, growling, and snapping. His mouth began to foam as he ran faster and faster, trying to catch the 6 bunnies. But the 6 little bunnies started to get scared and screamed in fear. But Nick kept on running and chasing them. The 6 bunnies ran the faster they could ever run, fearing the fox.

Judy stood up as she realized that her siblings could be in danger. Her heart pounded as she watched Nick run like some kind of savage animal. She didn't want to admit it, but even she was getting a little scared watching Nick act this way. This wasn't him. He'd never play rough like this.

"Nick, stop!" Judy shouted, watching Nick continue to chase her terrified siblings. "I SAID STOP, NICK!"

As if something snapped inside of him, Nick skidded to a stop and panted heavily. The 6 remaining bunnies ran away from Nick and joined their other four siblings.

Nick stood up and walked towards Judy, saliva dripping from his jaws. But Nick wiped it off with the back of his paw. He continued to walk towards Judy, a strange look on his face. Judy didn't know how to name the look.

"What's the big idea, Carrots?" Nick asked. "We were having fun!"

"Fun? Nick, you were scaring my siblings to death!" Judy responded.

"We were playing a game called Run from the Monster! I was just the monster chasing them. They were supposed to be scared!"

"Nick, you don't realize how scary you were, do you? You were absolutely terrifying and-"

Judy stopped. There was a strange look in Nick's eyes. It was anger, nor amusement. This was a new to look to Judy and she couldn't name it.

"Judy," Nick barked. "Are you scared of me?"

"What? N-no!" Judy replied. But his look made her shudder.

"You hesitated and stuttered, Carrots," Nick spoke. "Now answer me. Are you afraid of me? You think I might try to get you?"

"Nick, I-"

"Think I might try to eat you? Do you think I might go _savage?_ " A strange glint flickered in his eyes that frightened Judy majorly. Another shudder went down her body.

"Do you think I might…ATTACK YOU?"

Nick jumped forwards with his claws unsheathed, his teeth bared, his throat rumbling with a growl, and his eyes filled with that frightening glint. Judy jumped back and screamed, landing on her butt. Her nose twitched as she looked up at Nick—who was wiping more saliva from his lips with the back of his paw.

"Huh, that's what I thought," Nick growled. "You were scared of me all along, even when we were 'friends.' How could I have been so blind? Guess I was just a _dumb_ fox who befriended a _dumb_ rabbit."

With those words, Nick turned around and headed from the road in front of the Hopps' house. He never looked back and Judy looked at him, her entire body trembling with fear. But somehow, she still had the courage to shout, "Nick, wait!" What good that did. Nick never turned around. Ever.

##############################################################################

It was about midnight. Judy couldn't sleep that night so she decided to go and look for Nick. She was worried for him and where he might have been, even if he did scare her and leave her. But she couldn't leave Nick alone.

Judy knew Nick's scent. It was a little stale, but she found it leading into some woods. Why would Nick go into some woods? To camp out there?

Judy entered the woods and followed Nick's scent. It was getting fresher and closer by the moment. And soon, she found him. But she couldn't see him well from the dark night. All she could see was his silhouette. The moon was covered by dark clouds. Judy felt as if it were going to rain soon.

"Nick?" Judy whispered. "Nick what are you doing out here?"

It was silent—except for some obnoxious crickets singing their songs. Then Judy heard deep breathing and mumbling. That made her stomach churn with unease.

"Nick, are you okay?"

She heard some growling. Deep growling. That was enough for Judy. She slowly started walking back, trying to be as quiet as possible. Nick was probably going into another attack and she didn't want to be by him in the dark.

Judy heard some footsteps stepping after her. Judy's heart raced faster and her eyes widened in fear. She turning around slightly, only to see Nick's silhouette gone. She began to pant nervously and took off running. She couldn't see very well and branches and thorns struck her faces, arms, and legs. Judy wanted to scream, but that'd give her away.

Suddenly, Judy tripped over a root. She twisted her ankle and she flipped around on her back. She knew that she couldn't get up, and if she tried, she'd be too late.

And it didn't matter anymore, because it was then that she saw him, in the air leaping towards her with his mouth wide open, his fangs ready to strike her throat.

 **HAHAHAHAHA! A CLIFFHANGER! You waited so long for a chapter, only to face a cliffhanger! Let's see how Judy gets out of this one…OR WILL SHE? DUN! DUN! DUN!**

 **I really didn't want to make Stu all racist and a jerk and stuff cuz I read other Fan Fictions with him like that and I don't like it, but this chapter wouldn't work out if I didn't do it…**


	19. Gideon Gray

**A/N: Oh, quick update! But this is a short chapter, so sorry…** **J** **I just had to write it and I did. I had to relieve ya'll from the cliffhanger, so…BE HAPPY!**

 **If any of you guys are good at fan art, then I'd love it if you'd draw some for me! Thanks!**

 **19**

 _Gideon Gray_

It seemed as if time slowed down. Judy lied on her back in horror, watching Nick make his way towards Judy in the air. Saliva dripped from his fangs that were bared. His claws were unsheathed, ready to pin Judy down and then rip her throat open. Judy's nose twitched and she closed her eyes and winced, ready to feel Nick's strike.

Then she heard a yelp. Judy never even felt Nick's strike. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw Nick lying on the ground, unconscious. And standing above him—holding a fry pan—was Gideon Gray.

"G-Gideon?" Judy stuttered, panting and shaking like crazy. She thought she was a goner! She thought that she was a real goner!

"Judy!" Gideon shouted, running towards the bunny. He grabbed her in his arms and held her tightly. Judy liked the feeling of the hug. It made her feel really safe.

"Gideon," Judy sobbed into his shirt. She was terrified. Absolutely terrified. But Gideon had saved her.

"It's alright, Judy," Gideon said. "I've got ya."

Judy subsided her sobs, but she still clutched onto Gideon for a few more moments. Then the let go and breathed in deeply, letting out some unsteady breath.

"What are you doing out here?" Judy asked.

"Well, I saw this fox run into these woods. I kind of got suspicious and followed him here about the same time you did. I then saw him running after you and I knocked him out."

"With a fry pan?" Judy giggled. "Where do you have that from?"

"Well…the woods _are_ a little spooky, and I told myself that I ain't gonna go into some forest without a weapon. So I grabbed a fry pan from my delivery truck and came out here."

"Well, thank you, Gideon Gray," Judy smiled, hugging him some more. Gideon hugged her back, realizing that this was the first time that he ever hugged Judy—let alone get this close to her.

Then they heard some growling. Judy pushed away from Gideon and looked behind the fox, only seeing Nick on all fours, slowly rising to his feet. He was growling tremendously and his eyes were changed, almost permanently.

"Gideon, watch out!" Judy exclaimed. Gideon whirled around with his fry pan in his paw and whacked Nick again in the head. The savage fox fell to the ground. He almost looked like he was dead. That caused Judy to cry again. Doctor Barns was wrong. He was all wrong! He lied to them. Nick did go savage and it wasn't impossible. And now it was too late to try to prevent it. Nick was already growing in his savage ways.

"Gideon, we've got to get Nick to the Zootopia hospital," Judy explained.

"Why not the one here?" Gideon wondered.

"Because Nick already has a doctor back at Zootopia who knows how to deal with this kind of stuff and this infection is too big for the doctors here," Judy replied. "Do you have your phone on you?"

"No, it's in my van. I'll go and get it."

"No, let me. Someone has to stay out here with Nick and I don't want to be alone. You have the fry pan," Judy said.

"Alright, but take these." Gideon tossed her some keys. Judy caught them and took off to the van. It was only about 2 minutes away. Judy unlocked the van and opened the front door. She found Gideon's phone out of the front cup holders and then climbed out of the van, closing the door and locking it shut.

Judy didn't know Gideon's passcode, so she pressed emergency call on his phone and dialed down 911.

"911, what's your emergency?" the operator asked.

"We have a savage animal here in Bunny Burrow that needs to be sent to Zootopia's Central Hospital right away!" Judy shouted.

"Oh! Where are you right now?" the operator questioned.

"On…" Judy looked around for the street name. She couldn't find it, but she had an idea. "Hold on a second."

Judy went to Gideon's GPS and on there she found where they were: Blossom Street.

"We're on Blossom Street!" Judy replied. "Please, hurry! There will be a bakery van on the side of the road, waiting for you."

"We're on our way!"

Then the call ended. Judy looked around nervously, almost expecting a savage Nick to jump out behind her. She hoped that this attack was only a temporary one, but something inside of her told her that many changes were to come.

About 10 minutes later, Judy saw a helicopter in this distance, flying lower to the ground. That's when she found out that it was the hospital's helicopter. Their ambulance would be slow to bring out to Bunny Burrow. It was hours away.

Judy picked up Gideon's phone again and dialed her mom's phone number.

"Come on. Pick up. Pick up!" Judy thumped her foot impatiently, but her mom soon picked up her phone.

"Hello?"

"Mom, it's Judy."

"Where are you, sweetie? Are you at Rachel's party? If so, you should have told me…"

"MOM!" Judy exclaimed over the sound of the approaching helicopter. "I'm sorry but it seems as if this is a two day visit!"

"I'm not following…"

"Something is wrong with Nick and he has to be taken to the Zootopia hospital. And I'm going with him. I'm sorry, but I'll come visit another time. Tell everybody 'Bye' for me!"

"But Judy-"

Judy pressed end on the call and put the phone back in Gideon's van. She watched as the helicopter landed just yards away from the van. Out of it came some EMT's and they raced towards Judy.

"Where's the savage animal, ma'am?" one of them asked. Judy found her woods and began to speak.

"He's right here in the woods. I'll lead you to him," Judy replied. The EMT's nodded and Judy began to guide them through the woods. One of them turned on a flashlight (which made things a whole heck of a lot better) and handed it to Judy. She flashed it around and it soon landed on Gideon sitting on a rock with an unconscious fox right in front of him.

"Gideon!" Judy shouted, running back to him. "Did he ever wake up?"

"No, ma'am," Gideon replied, pulling the little bunny into a hug. "Everything will be alright, you'll see."

"Why would you say that?"

"You're crying, Judy. Real hard, too," Gideon replied. Judy didn't even notice it until she put a paw on her cheek and felt her soaked fur. _I guess the deep thoughts brought my mind off of my tears._

"I'm fine, Gideon."

"You must really care for him," Gideon spoke.

"As a friend, yes," Judy said.

"I didn't mean like that."

"Stop it, Gideon. I don't have feelings for him. He's a fox, I'm a bunny. He's predator, I'm prey. There are so many more differences, too," Judy snorted. "Plus, he already has some girlfriend."

"You're jealous."

"I am not. She's just…a bad animal. Really bad."

As the fox and the bunny talked, the EMT's picked up Nick on a stretcher and started to take him away to the helicopter. Judy and Gideon stopped their talking and followed them out of the woods. As they lifted Nick into the helicopter, Judy turned to Gideon.

"Thank you so much, Gideon Gray, for saving my life and helping me," Judy sighed.

"Are you sure you don't need me to go?"

"I'm sure. I have the EMT's." The EMT's all started to climb into the helicopter. Judy sighed and turned to Gideon. "I have to go. Thank you, Gideon."

Then she leaned up and set a light kiss on his cheek. She saw Gideon blush before she hopped off and climbed into the helicopter. One of the EMT's looked at her strangely.

"You're coming with us?" he asked.

"Yeah, I have to," Judy explained. "He's my friend; my partner. We don't ever leave each other. Plus, I know his doctor."

"Alright, but we're gonna have to do some testing on him while we're here," the EMT replied. Judy nodded and took a seat in the helicopter. Then it began to rise into the air and the noise hurt Judy's big ears.

"Here," said the copilot, handing her a pair of earmuffs. "Take these."

"THANKS!" Judy shouted over the engine and rotor blades. She put them over her ears and immediately her ears—and growing headache—felt better.

Behind her, the EMT's were doing some medical stuff to Nick. But Judy couldn't watch. It was too much for her.

"He has a lump on his head. That's not good," she overheard one say. _Darn you, Gideon Gray._

"We have to put some arnica on that," another said. "It should help bring the swelling down."

Judy wished she couldn't hear them in case they'd say something she didn't want to hear. She already knew that Nick was in deep medical trouble, and hearing even more problems made her nervous for Nick's safety and for her own safety.

Judy fidgeted in her seat. She was tired. Really tired. Maybe if she'd just close her eyes, she might be able to fall asleep. And it turned out, it was pretty easy to sleep. And it'd be even easier if Judy didn't dream a nightmare. Sleep. _Sleep…_

 **Sorry for the weird ending. I didn't like it AT ALL, but I had to end it some way….**

 **REVIEW!**


	20. Positive

**A/N: YOLO, PEEPS! I have your chappy right here for you. I liked this chapter. It involves some more characters, let me tell you that. I'm doing more frequent updates, especially since I have got to get this done before summer is over. But I'll let you know that I'm OVER half way through with this fic…Within 7-8 more chapters, I should be done with this. Maybe less chapters. But I'm planning on making a sequel, so stick with me to find out more!**

 **Here, you go!**

 **20**

 _Positive_

There she was again, on her back in the forest. Nick was in midair, ready to attack her. Judy held her breath as she knew what was coming. She looked into Nick's cold eyes one last time to see if maybe, just maybe, she'd see his true, beautiful eyes glow. But it didn't come. In fact, nothing came. Judy saw Nick's eyes widen as he was in midair. Within seconds, the fox fell to the ground, limp.

Judy panted and looked at Nick. His eyes were half closed and blood poured out from his side. Judy scampered over to her fox and flipped him over onto his back. She put her ear to his heart. Nothing. No heartbeat was there—and Judy would hear it even if there was a faint one because of her big ears.

 _No. NO!_ Judy looked at Nick's pale, dead face. She felt the tears brimming in her eyes. While Nick was trying to kill her, he was the one who got killed. Judy lifted his big head into her lap and stroked it, her tears rolling down to her nose and then dripping onto Nick's still face. Who would do such a thing? Who would kill a helpless, savage fox? Judy would have rather died than have an innocent fox die.

Judy felt blood on her hand. She looked back at Nick's side and the wound was gushing with dark red blood. It was soaking through Judy's favorite shirt of Nick's: his green, Hawaiian shirt. Judy gritted her teeth and buried her face into Nick's neck, pouring her heart out. Her fox was dead. And she never got the chance to tell him that she…

"Wake up, Miss!"

Judy felt somebody shake her body. She woke up with a start and let out a scream. _Oh, it's just a dream._ She looked around and moaned, "Huh?"

"We're here at the hospital. Your fox friend it already being taken to the emergency room," the EMT explained. "We have to get off of this helicopter."

"Oh, of course," Judy said. She followed the remaining EMT out of the helicopter and it was when she hit the ground when she realized that she was on the hospital roof. Now, Judy had this thing about heights. And her face said it all.

"Oh, yeah…Let's get you inside," the EMT said. He led the stomach-knotted bunny through the roof door where a whole set of stairs awaited them. But they walked down them quickly. Judy was in a hurry to see Nick, though she bet that she probably couldn't see him right away.

Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, Judy whirled around to face the EMT.

"Where's Nick?" Judy demanded to know.

"I'm afraid you can't see him right now. He's in the ER. Nobody except for the doctors can go in there," the EMT replied. "I'm sorry."

Judy and the EMT slowly walked down the halls of the Zootopia hospital. Judy was disappointed—and terrified. She had no idea what was going on with Nick and part of her was too scared to want to know.

"Where's Doctor Barns?"

"He's in the ER with Doctor Wings," the EMT replied. "It might be awhile before you'll see any of them. Why don't we go to the waiting room?"

"No! I mean…No. I'm fine. I'll sit here in the hallway," Judy said, trying to keep her temper down. "I don't care how long it takes. I have to get results as soon as possible."

The EMT nodded. "I understand. Just come to the front office if you need anything."

"I will, thanks!" Judy said as she watched the EMT walk away. Then she slumped against the wall and sat on the tiled floor (since there wasn't a convenient hallway bench where she was.) She brought out the phone from her pocket and it was then that she realized that most of her good, packed clothes were back at Bunny Burrow. She'd just have her parents send her her belongings later.

Judy wasted most of her time on Facebook and Tweeter, looking at random posts from her new friends that she met at Icy's Café and officers at the ZPD. She even found Chief Bogo on Facebook, and like a good employee would, she followed him.

"Judy Hopps?"

Judy looked up and saw Doctor Barns standing in front of her. The ER door was closed behind him so that Judy couldn't peer in to see Nick.

The bunny stood up to face the badger and gave a weak smile.

"Hello, Doctor Barns," Judy greeted. "Any news on Nick?"

"Well…I'm not positive, but…Nick is definitely savage…"

The look in his eyes said it all, but Judy knew that there was more to be said.

"It's the same kind of savage as Jaws has. And…I was wrong. It wasn't just a small infection, Officer Judy. I'm afraid that—with the symptoms we're getting so far—his infection is bigger than Jaws."

Judy had the urge to raise her paw up to her muzzle. _Nick? Savage?_ She knew that he was, but the way that Doctor Barns was going and the way he was saying things, Judy knew that this was more than just going savage.

"G-go on," Judy mumbled.

"Ms. Hopps, after Jaws died, I've been doing some serious research on savage animals from the past," Doctor Barns said. "I found this one disease that long ago had a cure, but now that cure is long lost and I'm afraid that if Nick happens to have this disease, we'll have to start from the beginning."

"I'm not following," Judy replied. "What is the name of this disease?"

"It's called Rabies," Doctor Barns spoke. Just the name gave Judy the shudders. Fear crept into her eyes as she listened some more.

"I'm not sure if he has it and I will have to do more tests on him to find out, but he has the same things as Jaws had and the symptoms that Jaws had are the same symptoms that any animal with rabies would have."

No. No, this couldn't be true. This was all just a terrible nightmare! Judy would wake up right then on the morning that she was late—this time with a good attitude. There would be no Alay, no moody Nick, no nightmares, no heartbreak, and no savage disease. Judy had to wake up. NOW!

"Miss Hopps?"

Judy felt a paw land on her shoulder and her big, frightened eyes looked up at Doctor Barns.

"No," she mumbled. "This can't…this can't be happening. I don't want Nick to go savage. I want my old Nick back. Please."

The Doctor frowned, disappointed as much as she was. "I'm so sorry, Judy. But I swear that I'll have him back soon. Once I find out what's wrong, I'll work on the antidote right away and Nick will be back to his old self. I promise."

But Judy just shook her head. "You doctors say that, but it's never true. It's never true! You said that Nick wouldn't go savage, but he did! So how can I believe you?"

"Ms. Hopps…"

"HOW?!"

"Hopps, I know that things are hard right now, but I promise that I'll do everything I can," Doctor Barns said, calmly. "Why don't you go home and rest? It's late and I can tell that recently you've been losing sleep."

"Well, I won't be able to sleep now," Judy snorted. "Please, Doctor. Let me see him."

"I'm sorry, but that's not possible at the moment. Nick is in severe conditions and only our best doctors and nurses can be in there right now. It's not safe for a little bunny like you."

"Little bunny…?" Judy asked, shocked. "Doctor, I'm an actual officer! Many mammals think that just because I'm a bunny, I can't do certain things or I will get scared of certain things. But Doc, that's not true! At least for me. Now please let me see the animal that helped me through it all!"

"Look, go home, Officer," Doctor Barns sighed. "I'm tired, you're tired. Let's just call it a night, okay?"

"I'm not leaving Nick here alone," Judy spoke, stubbornly.

"And he won't be. I will be here, other doctors will be here." Doctor Barns took Judy's paw in his. "He's in good paws."

Judy dropped her head and looked at the ground. "I just…am worried for him. Deeply. He's my best friend and I don't want anything else bad happening to him."

"I'll do all I can to prevent that," the doctor smiled.

"Thank you." Judy slipped her paw out from Doctor Barn's. "I'll be here tomorrow."

"I'm not sure if you'll be able to see him tomorrow, either," he said.

"I'm still coming."

Judy turned around and walked down the hallway, focusing on the lights' reflection on the floor tiles. It almost looked like a whole 'nother dimension if you looked closely. Maybe her real Nick was stuck in that dimension. But she better get out of her fantasy mind before things were too late.

##############################################################################

Judy woke up that…afternoon?! What was she doing up so late? _I'm gonna be in sooooo much trouble since I'm late for work_ …And then it struck her. Judy didn't have work. She'd still technically be on 'vacation' in Bunnyburrow.

Judy heard her phone ring. She picked it up from her nightstand to see who it was. _Speak of the devil._

"Hey, Mom. Hi Dad," Judy moaned.

"Judy, where are you?!" Stu growled. "Why did you just leave?"

"I told Mom the reason why," Judy replied. "She was supposed to tell you."

"I did," Bonnie snorted. "But you didn't tell me everything that I needed to know. First off, what's going on?"

Oh-no. Judy could NOT tell her parents about Nick going savage. She had to make up a lie. And real quickly and smooth too, just like Nick did occasionally.

"Nick was taking a midnight stroll…"

"But I thought he ran off saying he needed alone time."

"He did, Dad. He was camping out in the woods and he decided to take a midnight stroll when a van came along and crashed into him."

Bonnie gasped. "Is he okay?" she wondered. She cared for Nick; she really liked him and she didn't want him to get hurt or…

"Who ran into him?" Stu asked. Judy bit her lip and said the first mammal that popped into her mind.

"Gideon Gray."

When Judy heard her parent's shocked replies, Judy regretted mentioning him. What a liar she was! But she had to put in another lie.

"He didn't mean to, though!" Judy cut in. "He didn't even see Nick. Nick can be stealthy like that."

Stu furrowed his brow, concerned. "When did you come in?"

"I happened to see the crash take place. It was really scary and Nick is in serious conditions, but I think he'll be okay."

"Judy, I'm so sorry," Bonnie said.

"It's okay, Mom. If it weren't for Gideon's help, Nick could be…" Judy couldn't say it. And she didn't say it. It was a very powerful word and it could cause bad luck.

"I have to go," Judy said. "I'm going to go see Nick today…hopefully I'll actually be able to see him. He was in the ER last night."

"Okay. Well, don't worry too much, Judy. Things will turn out alright," Bonnie said. "We love you, Judy!"

Then her parents hung up. _Thank God._ Judy lied back on top of her bed and moaned. She told so many lies…As an officer, she was supposed to be truthful. What it…oh no. What if her parents started talking to Gideon about the incident? Judy had to call Gideon first and explain things to him. So she picked up her phone and dialed down his number.

"Judy?"

"Gideon!" Judy exclaimed. "Listen, I did some things that I'm not proud of. I lied to my parents about Nick. I-I told him that he was run over by a van. _Your_ van. I lied and told him that you crashed into him. I'm so sorry, Giddy. I-I didn't mean to lie like that, just…"

"It's okay, Judy," Gideon spoke. "I understand why you needed to lie. Your parents would go nuts if them fellas found out that Nick was a savage."

"Oh, thanks," Judy said.

"By the way, how is he?" Gideon wondered.

"Not so well. The doctor said that he might have an ancient disease called rabies. And the rabies cure is long lost. I mean, who would lose the cure for that? It could happen again to some animal—like Nick!" Judy was about ready to cry. Why did she have to be so emotional?

"I'm real sorry, Judy," Gideon said. "I just hope that everything is fine for you. I hope it turns out fine, anyways."

"Thanks, Gideon. You're the best," Judy sighed. "Say, how about you come visit me some time here in Zootopia? After all, since one of my fox friends is…you know…I need another one to keep me company."

"Do you have a thing for foxes?"

Judy laughed—which felt really good. "I happen to have 2 friends who are foxes. Come on, Gideon. What do you say?"

"Who will look after the bakery for me, though?"

"I'm sure one of my older siblings might," Judy replied.

"Well, I reckon I can find somebody…" Gideon said. "When should I come?"

"How about 2 weeks?" Judy wondered.

"Sounds good."

"Alright, Gideon. Thanks so much. I hope to see you then!" Judy smiled. "And, remember, if my parents talk about the incident…"

"I'll just play cool," Gideon reassured. "Now go on. I know you have somewhere else to be."

"Alright, bye, Gideon! Love you!"

Judy hung up and then realized what she had just said. _Love you? Oh no, no, no, no, no! I did NOT mean to say that. What do I do?_ Judy felt really nervous. How did those words slip out of her mouth? What if Gideon thought differently of her? Maybe she should text him and tell him what she meant. But it turned out she didn't need to. Her phone buzzed with a text from Gideon.

 _*Aw, how adorable. Love you too! ;)*_

Judy wanted to face palm, but instead she texted back.

 _*Sorry about that. It just…slipped out. You probably already have a girl of your own, anyways.*_

 _*Nope, I'm free.*_

Judy sent him a laughing emoji and then turned off her phone. She found some extra clothes in her bin under her bed and that's when she realized what she needed to tell Gideon. She grabbed her phone and texted him.

 _*Hey, can you remind my parents to send me my clothes? Thanks!*_

Gideon replied quickly with a: _*Sure, can do!*_

Judy smiled and slipped on some jean shorts and a light blue T-shirt. She combed back the fur on her face and then grabbed her phone and placed it in her pocket. She gave her reflection in the mirror a half smile, telling herself that everything was going to be alright. Then she turned and left her apartment.

##############################################################################

"Hey guys!" Judy greeted as she hopped into Icy's Café. She slipped into the booth and sat beside Jed. He was looking really good today.

"Wow, you decided to join us," Maisy giggled. "Do you know how late it is?"

Judy glanced at her phone. "It's 12:30. So what? I'm actually surprised that _you_ guys are here this late."

"Mornings are getting busier, especially since the young mammals are off school for the summer. Lots of teenagers like to come here," Barry said, his yellow eyes flickering. "Do you want me to get you something?"

"Oh, sure. Thanks. I'll just take a small mocha," Judy said. Barry nodded and slid out of the booth, walking towards the front counter.

Jed, looking as handsome as ever, flashed Judy a smile. "So, what's up? Why are you back from your vacation so early?"

"Nick had an incident. I actually am going to the hospital after this to—hopefully—see him."

"What happened?"

Judy didn't know if she should tell them the truth. But she finally made up her mind.

"It's…complicated. I'm not ready to talk about it," she said. "So…what have you guys been doing?"

"Well, my fiancé and I are still planning our wedding," Maisy said.

"Awesome," Judy smiled. "How's it going?"

"Really well. Just 2 more months!" Maisy squealed. Judy was really happy for her new friend. She always wanted to get married herself. The wedding seemed like such an awesome ceremony.

"Here you go, bunny," Barry winked as he handed Judy her mocha.

"Oh, thanks." She sipped on the small mocha. It tasted pretty good, but it could have been better.

"I think I have to go now," Judy explained. "I have a lot of stuff on my plate today."

"Here," Jed said helping Judy get out of the booth like a true gentleman. Then he said softly, "Can we talk?"

Judy nodded and walked outside with Jed. They stood outside of the café and Jed gave Judy a smile.

"Look, you are one extraordinary bunny. You have done so much for Zootopia, and it'd be an honor for me if you'd say yes, but…Judy, would you like to go out with me?"

Judy smiled. She would, she really would. She just didn't know if she'd have a whole lot of time to go out with him, especially since she had a lot to do with Nick and his savageness.

"I would love to," Judy grinned. "But…I'm going to be busy a lot, you have to understand."

"Oh, of course," Jed nodded. "Especially with Nick's incident, whatever that is. Would you mind telling me?"

"I'm sorry, I just can't," Judy said. "But it's an honor to be going out with you, Jed."

"What about Thursday night? Are you busy then?" Jed asked.

"No, I'm free," Judy spoke.

"Alright, well I will pick you up about 7:00 and we can go out," Jed said.

"Sounds great!" Judy exclaimed. She hugged the tall, black hair. "See you then!"

They pulled apart and Judy walked off down the side walk. She turned around to see Jed waving 'goodbye' to her. Judy waved back and headed for the hospital. _It's gonna be a long walk._

##############################################################################

It took Judy about an hour to walk to Zootopia's Central Hospital. She walked into it and the AC hit her immediately. It felt amazing to her.

Judy walked up to the front counter and recognized the lion. She smiled at him.

"Hey!" she greeted.

"You must be Officer Hopps, right? I remember you. And I realize that I haven't told you my name," the lion said.

"No, I don't believe you have," Judy replied.

"I'm Josh," he smiled. "Now, are you here to visit someone?"

"I don't think that he's available for visits, but I'm here to see his doctor, Doctor Barns," Judy explained. Josh nodded.

"Yes, Doctor Barns…He's in his office at room 250. Do you need me to take you there?" Josh wondered.

"No, I can find it on my own," Judy smiled. "Thanks!"

Then she pranced off down the halls, searching for room 250. She remembered where it was and headed that way. It was the same room where Nick had his finger prick at—and where she got one too. It really did hurt.

Judy found the room and knocked on the door. "Doctor Barns? Doctor Barns."

After a few more moments of knocking, the door was opened. Some strange emotion was written on Doctor Barn's face. He stepped back and let Judy in.

"Come in, Miss Hopps. Take a seat," he spoke. Judy did as was told and sat across from Doctor Barns. He cleared his throat and looked at Judy.

"Judy, I did some more researching on rabies last night and today I did a lot more blood tests and such on Nick," he said. "And it all matched up."

Judy's eyes widened. _Did this mean…_

"It's positive. Nick Wilde has rabies."

 **I know that if you get bit, you'd get rabies almost right away, but…I'm not doing that in this. It HAD to be longer and more emotional and it had to take time to effect Nick. You guys understand.**

 **I better get some GOOD reviews!**


	21. Date Night

**A/N: I guess I was a** ** _little_** **late in relieving ya'll from the cliffhanger, buuuuuttt….now you have this chapter to look forwards too! Enjoy!**

 **BTW, many people are asking me if this is a JudyxNick fan fiction. Well, I'm afraid you're just gonna have to find out at the end! Though I did leave you some hints…Just stick with me! Please!**

 **21**

 _Date Night_

It was over. All over. There was no point in life anymore. Nick seemed like a goner. It'd take far too long to find the cure and Jaws died within…what? 3-4 weeks? Yeah. And it'd probably take months to find the cure.

Judy was on her bed in the dark, curled up on top of it. Her conversation with Doctor Barns didn't go well and Judy regretted everything she said to him. It was mostly screaming and crying coming from her, nasty words about how doctors were so terrible and how he would never find the cure for Nick. But she only said those things all out of fear. And Doctor Barns stood pretty calm through it all.

Nick? Die? No…he couldn't. And he wouldn't! Judy was going to help Doctor Barns find the rabies cure, no matter what it took. It had to be hidden somewhere on the internet. Who would just throw it away, thinking that there would be no need for it in the future?

Judy glanced at her clock. 3:45am. She couldn't sleep, knowing that her fox was in danger. Judy felt the threatening tears, but she couldn't cry! Not at all. What good did crying do for her? It only made her feel worse and lose hope for Nick.

Judy decided that she needed to get Nick off of her mind. And she found another thought. Her date with Jed. That would be tomorrow. Technically, today was Wednesday—it was just super early in the morning. Judy probably should sleep, but sleep was impossible.

She heard her stomach rumble and she realized that she was starving. She had nothing to eat that day, especially after the news from Doctor Barns. Maybe she should go get some food. _Icy's Café might be open, still. I guess I can get something to eat there._

Judy slipped off of her bed and grabbed her phone from her nightstand, slipping it into her wrinkled, jean shorts. Her blue shirt was soaked with tears from earlier, but she didn't care if she looked like crap. Anybody could judge her all they wanted; they just didn't know what she was going through.

Judy took the short walk to Icy's Café. They were a 24/7 café and Judy was glad because she really needed something to eat.

She walked inside the brightly lit shop and the smell of coffee and pastries hit her nose. It smelled so good and her stomach rumbled tremendously. She didn't realize how hungry she really was.

"Hello, Miss," the bear at the front counter said. "What can I get for you today?"

"I'll take some lemon bread and a coffee," Judy replied, letting a yawn slip through her. The bear nodded and grabbed a coffee cup, filling it quickly with coffee.

"Want creamer?" she asked. Judy nodded. "Also, how much lemon bread?"

"Three pieces," Judy responded. "Thanks."

"No problem, Miss."

The bear finished with Judy's coffee, grabbed the lemon bread, and then handed it to Judy.

"That'll be $4.36," she said.

"Okay," Judy mumbled, grabbing money out from her wallet in her pocket. She handed it to the bear and walked off to a booth. She was about to enter the one that Nick and her usually sat at, but she was surprised to see someone else sitting there.

Alay.

Judy gritted her teeth and let a growl like sound escape from her lips. She walked up to the table and glared at the vixen.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"What's the matter, sweetheart? Can I not just be here? Is there a law against foxes being here? Because in that case, Nick and I should have been arrested a while ago."

"Don't you dare mention that fox," Judy growled.

"What's the matter? Do you hate him?" Alay cooed. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be in Bunnyburrow, anyways?"

"Not ever since Nick's incident!" Judy shouted.

"What happened?"

"Don't you dare 'what happened' me! You know very well what happened! It's all part of your scheme!" Judy hissed.

"What scheme?" Alay snorted. "You assume things too much."

"I'm a police officer!" Judy said. "I don't assume, I investigate, Alay Flake! We already discussed that that's not your real name, but did we discuss that you _don't_ have a brother named Jake Flake? And what about your feelings for Jaws—the bear who tried to assault you! How many more lies are you holding back?!"

Alay's face said it all. She was lying. There was no way she could hide her guilt.

"You _knew_ what was going on with Jaws! You went to the hospital to see him, and he died! And it was your plan all along for Nick to get rabies and die too!"

Alay tried to hide the tears behind her eyes, but her eyes watered majorly. Without a word, she slipped out of the café booth and headed for the doors. She pushed through them and raced down the streets.

Judy stood there for a second, trying to figure out what just happened. She let a criminal run loose, too. She grunted and headed for the door, but not to go find Alay. That'd be absolutely useless. No, Judy would have to find a different technique for capturing that criminal.

Judy took the short walk back to her apartment, eating her lemon bread on the way there. It was satisfying, but sweet. A little too sweet for Judy's taste.

She entered her small, crummy apartment quietly. She sat on her bed and sighed. She hated her life, hated everything bad that was happening to her. Why her, a poor little bunny? Why did she have to be going through so much?

Judy finished her coffee, spent some time on social media, and before she knew it, she was asleep.

##############################################################################

Judy woke up a little bit late on Thursday morning, but it wasn't too late. It was only 11:00am. She could have slept in later, but she was wise enough not to. She had stuff to do today before her date with Jed. Thinking about that got her excited.

First off, Judy searched through the remains of her clothes for a good outfit. She'd change for tonight, but she had to run errands today and she wanted to look good. She found some jeans (which would be hot in the summer heat) but it was the only thing she had to wear. She needed to also take her dirty clothes to the apartment keeper and have her wash her clothes.

Judy grabbed a purple shirt and slipped it over her. She stuffed her wallet in her back pocket along with her phone and marched out of her room.

First stop, the grocery store. Judy climbed out of the police car—that chief Bogo lent her—and walked into the cool building. Wearing jeans was not a good idea, but it was the only thing she really had. Her parents really needed to ship her clothes to her.

Judy needed food majorly. She had no food in her apartment, but then again, she had no room to make anything. She could only really eat microwaved food, but that stuff was kinda gross.

"Let's see, I need carrots, celery, blueberries…" Judy stopped. _Blueberries._ They made her think of Nick. Judy felt something inside sting her. _Nick._

She shook her head and pushed the thought out of her head. She continued to list the food she needed.

"Chocolate would be good," she told herself. "And I need lettuce. Maybe some chips to munch on. That sounds pretty good to me. Oh, wait. I should get some pizza too."

Judy walked around the market, spending most of her time in the produce section. She grabbed all of the vegetables and fruit that she needed and then grabbed her chips, chocolate, and pizza. Judy wondered how she didn't notice that she was all out of food at home, but she was stocking up a bit now. She didn't eat very much, but when she did, she ate everything she could possible eat.

After Judy paid for her groceries, she headed for the car and set the bags in the back seat. Then she got into the driver's seat and pulled out of the parking lot. She drove down the road to go to the Zootopia Central Hospital just to check up on Nick.

The traffic wasn't too bad, but it was a little slow. Judy turned on the radio and listened to a song by Taylor Pig: _I Wish You Would._ It reminded her a bit about hers and Nick's fights and how they always thought they'd never get back together. But they always did in the end. _End._ Would Nick have an end to him?

"JUDY! Don't think such thoughts! Don't lose hope on him!" Judy scolded herself out loud. She listened to the song some more and felt her ears droop. Why did she have to think of him? _Probably because I'm going to see him, duh._

Judy reached the hospital within 20 minutes. She parked her car at the front parking lot and ran into the building. She waved to Josh and walked up to the counter.

"Hey, Josh!" she greeted. The lion looked at her.

"Are you here to speak with Dr. Barns?" Josh wondered.

"Just for a minute. I want to get Nick's report for today or whatever you call it," Judy replied. "Is the doctor busy?"

"No, I don't think so. Let me call his office and see if he's there," he said. He used his desk phone to call in on the office while Judy thumped her foot, impatiently.

"Alright, he's in his office."

"Thanks!" Judy exclaimed, running down the halls and waving at Josh. She walked up to Doctor Barn's door and knocked on it lightly. Before letting him get a chance to answer, Judy walked into the room and saw Dr. Barns sitting down at his desk with his computer in front of him.

"Dr. Barns," Judy spoke. The badger looked up at Judy and nodded.

"Hello, Miss Hopps," he smiled.

"Just call me Judy," she said. "And I would like to apologize for the other day. I was just angry and upset and I…"

"I understand, Judy," Dr. Barns said. "Lots of mammals like to blame the doctors and I'm used to it. But they only do it when they hear shocking news or when they're upset."

Judy nodded and looked at the ground, pursing her lips. "I was wondering if you had news on Nick and if I could maybe…see him?"

"Give us a few more days, okay Judy? He's going through a lot of tests and stuff right now. But once we put him in his glass cell—where you can look at him conveniently and safely—then you can visit him."

"Okay," Judy mumbled. "But how is he? Has he woken up yet?"

"Of course," Doctor Barns chuckled. "He's a feisty creature and we all have to wear suits to protect ourselves, but we have him strapped down and we tranquilize him a lot."

"The tranquilizer medicine won't damage his brain or anything, will it?"

The doctor shook his head. "No, no it won't."

"Okay, well thank you," Judy smiled. "I'll be going now and leave you to your…researching?"

"Yep."

Judy nodded. "Okay, bye Dr. Barns!"

"Bye, Judy."

##############################################################################

Judy was frantically searching through her tiny closet for something to wear tonight. Just earlier she had to text Jed and told her what her address was and they engaged in a friendly conversation when Judy looked at the time and it was 6:45! She only had 15 minutes to get ready!

Judy finally decided to wear a light pink dress that she had since she was a senior. It was a pretty dress, not too plain and not too fancy. It was perfect.

Judy slipped that on and combed back the fur on her face. At least this date would take her mind off of _him._ Judy shook her head and continued to clean herself up.

Finally, her doorbell rang. Judy ran to it frantically and answered it, meeting eyes with Jed. His beautiful, blue eyes were shining and he was looking as handsome as ever. If Judy could, she would have melted from his presence. Yeah, that's how good looking he was.

"Hey, Judy. Are you ready to go?"

Judy nodded, lost at words. She expected Jed to hold out his arm for her to hold onto, but instead he held out his paw and Judy put her small paw in his bigger one. Together, they walked down to Jed's fancy car.

##############################################################################

"And here we are!" Jed exclaimed, parking the car in a parking lot. Judy looked at the place that they were at: Alfonso's Garden. _This must be a really popular place for dates,_ Judy thought.

Jed got out of the car and walked around to the passenger door and opened it up for his date. Judy stepped out and smiled.

"Thank you."

"No problem, sweets," Jed winked. He grabbed Judy's paw and gave her a beautiful smile. "Let's go in."

They entered the Italian restaurant and the good smelling scent hit Judy's nose. The lights were dimmed in the restaurant like they were in romantic dinner scenes. While Jed talked to their host, Judy felt memories flood through her of when Nick and her had captured the criminal in the kitchen. _Oh, Nick._

"Come on, Judy. Let's sit down," Jed said, leading Judy to their booth. It was a nice little spot and Judy started loving their date from the start. They ordered their food and chatted about randomness until their food came. It was really fast service.

"So…how was your day?" Jed wondered.

"It was pretty okay. I woke up late and shopped for food. What about you?" Judy replied, taking a bite of her spaghetti.

"Well, I had a tough day at my job. My boss decided to give me an extra hour and he _said_ that he'd pay me extra, but I doubt it. He's a fox, you know. And foxes are untrustworthy."

"You think so?" Judy snorted, trying not to get mad.

"Well, duh. Foxes are sly, as we all know and…criminals 10% of the time," Jed said.

"Even Nick?"

"Oh, Judy. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that…" Jed responded. He changed the subject quickly. "So, how are your parents?"

"They're good," Judy said. "Though they were upset that I left early."

"I wouldn't blame them," Jed said. "I mean, if it weren't for Nick…"

"What do you mean if it weren't for Nick?" Judy's ears felt hot with rage. Where was Jed going with this?

"Well, if he hadn't gotten into that accident…"

"That was NOT Nick's fault!" Judy hissed. "He couldn't control going sa-out for a stroll at night!"

"Foxes are creatures of the night, so I guess he couldn't resist," Jed shrugged. "That's when they come out the most to, you know…"

"Kill mammals?" Judy growled. "Foxes are innocent creatures! They're just like any other animal or any other animal are just like them."

"Haha, no. Foxes are sly and untrustworthy," Jed snarled. "And why are you sticking up for a fox? Didn't you once tell me that one hurt you when you were younger? And what about how Nick scares you?"

Had Judy ever really told him that? Maybe she did.

"Gideon Gray happens to be a very fine gentleman now and Nick had some issues…" Judy spoke.

"Yes, he had some issues. He was a killer, evil fox!" Jed spat.

"The only animals are see who are evil and untrustworthy are racist animals like YOU! Good night!" Judy exclaimed, slipping out of her booth. She left Jed in the booth, probably cursing his head off. Judy stormed out the restaurant doors and began walking on the sidewalk. It'd probably take about 15 minutes to walk home, but she could do some thinking in that time.

Judy felt a boost of anger shoot up her every time she thought of Jed. _Shortest date ever._

 **I'd like to thank my guest reviewer "TMM" for telling me about this song and how they think of that song every time they read my fic. You're so awesome, TMM!**

 **Sorry about Taylor Swift's animal name. LOL, just a while ago, I thought that Taylor Swift would be a pig if she were any animal, so…Yeah.**

 **I'd also like to suggest a great Zootopia fan fiction to you called "In and Out of Love" by AngloFalcon. It's REALLY good and I suggest that you read it. It's got loads of drama, humor, and mystery. Go check it out!**

 **Also, if you like Miraculous Ladybug, check out an** ** _awesome_** **fan fiction by LilyTheNinjaGirl called "Secrets and Betrayals." That has so much drama and mystery and angst that I can't wait until she (Lily, my BFF) updates!**

 **One more thing…I'VE OFFICIALLY (After you review this chapter) HAVE REACHED 300 REVIEWS! You guys are just SOOOOOOOOOOO awesome! Thank you for being really supportive and loving my story!**

 **That's all! Thank you!**


	22. The Vixen Trap

**A/N: CHAPTER 22! WOO-HOO! Things are about to get a HECK of a lot more dramatic and such. You guys better have your tissues ready for the next coming chapters!**

 **22**

 _The Vixen Trap_

Judy wasn't in the mood for the next days. What she thought was a charming, perfect hare turned out to be a racist, evil, jerky hare. And Judy was glad that she found out right away that he hated foxes because if they got too deep in their relationship and Jed said that, Judy would have been heartbroken because she would have broken up with him anyways. Anybody who hated foxes, Judy definitely would not date them. Nick was a very close and dear friend to her and she could not have a boyfriend who would hate him.

But to lighten the mood, Gideon Gray was coming to visit. The 2 weeks had passed by quickly and during that time, Judy had gotten back to work. But her talk with Chief Bogo wasn't very heart lifting for anyone.

It started out like this:

Judy had just started her job, not in the best mood. She was sitting in her office, occasionally glancing at Nick's empty whirly chair and feeling an ache inside of her. She never felt something this strong and Judy almost cried.

Then she heard a knock on the door. Judy said, "Come in!" Surprisingly, Chief Bogo slipped into the door. Judy was shocked, but she quickly stood up and saluted.

"Hello, sir," Judy said. But Chief Bogo wavered his hoof as to tell her to sit down and was there…emotion written on his face? That was new.

Chief grabbed Nick's old chair and brought it closer to Judy before sitting down in it. Judy didn't want to say anything, but she felt hurt when her chief sat in her Nick's seat. But she ignored the feeling.

"Is there something I can do for you, chief?" Judy wondered. Bogo shook his head and cleared his throat.

"No, there isn't, Hopps. Well, maybe you can lighten up your mood…" Chief Bogo sighed. "Officer Hopps, I'm sorry about Officer Wilde. I'm sorry he had to leave us. Even if he is a sly idiot most of the time. But it doesn't surprise me that he left us, because you see, a long time ago, I had to arrest his father."

Judy nearly gasped, but instead she lifted her droopy ears up. "You what?"

"Yes, I had to arrest his father. I was young then, so I doubt that he remembers me now, but I know that he probably hated cops from there on out," Bogo explained. "So it doesn't surprise me that he's leaving us. He never had the true passion for the job or-"

"That's not why he left us!" Judy couldn't help it. She began to sob uncontrollably. She buried her face in her paws as she cried dramatically. She caught a glimpse of Chief Bogo's face. He was shocked, really. He also had sympathy written all over his face. But Judy continued to cry. Bogo didn't know what to do and he sat there awkwardly, waiting for Judy to stop crying, if she ever did.

"Why did he leave us then?" Bogo asked, softly.

"He, he, he…" Judy stuttered, trying to catch her breath through some sobs. She looked up at her chief with red eyes. "He's gone savage!"

"Savage?" Bogo was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"He got infected by that bear he arrested a while ago who happened to have a disease called rabies, sir," Judy cried. "He's…he's gonna die!"

Judy buried her face back in her paws, sobbing even harder. Chief Bogo felt really awkward sitting there, and he had to do _something._ As embarrassing as it might have been, Bogo knelt down in front of the wailing bunny and wrapped his arms around her. Judy wasn't surprised by his sudden move, instead she leaned into him and sobbed into his uniform (after the fact, though, she felt bad for soaking his shirt with her tears.)

"There, there, Hopps. Everything will be alright," Bogo comforted. Then he nudged Judy off of him and gave her…was that a smile? No way!

"There is hope for that fox, and know that I'm here if you need a shoulder to cry on. Literally. You soaked my shirt."

Judy laughed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Sorry about that," she said. "I just…"

"I understand, Hopps," Bogo snorted. Then he stood up. "Now, you should get back to work. How about a little action tomorrow?"

Judy thought about this. It would be difficult and even painful to do it without Nick by her side. But she hadn't done much action in a while.

"I'd like that, thank you," Judy smiled. Chief Nodded and headed for the door.

"Oh, and Chief?"

The buffalo turned around.

"Thank you," Judy said.

"No problem, Officer Hopps. Don't lose hope for that fox. I can assure you that he can get through this. He's a fox, after all. Smart, clever, and a lot of the time, idiotic. Even if he is savage, he will find his way through this, and you will too."

With those words, Chief Bogo left Judy's office.

##############################################################################

Here Judy was, a week and a half later, at the train station in Zootopia. She was waiting for Gideon Gray to arrive. In fact, his train already _did_ arrive. She was just waiting for him to get his stuff and find her.

"Judy!"

Judy knew that drawl anywhere. She turned around and saw Gideon a few feet behind her, holding his suitcase. Judy ran towards him and hugged him tightly.

"Hey, Gideon!" she greeted. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

"I'm glad to see you, too," Gideon replied. Judy let go of him and smiled brightly.

"Well, come on! We can go get something to eat and then find you a hotel to stay at. My apartment is _tiny._ It can barely fit me, so that's why you can't stay at my apartment."

"Are you going to get a new one?"

"I'm planning to soon when I have a bit more money," Judy explained. "Now, come on! Let's go."

Judy practically dragged Gideon by his tail. His mouth gaped open as he saw the big city.

"It's awesome, isn't it?" Judy squealed. "But we can see a lot more later. First we have to get some food. Do you like pizza?"

"Pizza? Uh…sure," Gideon replied.

Judy led Gideon to the police car and instructed Gideon to climb in. He did and threw his suitcase in the back as Judy climbed into the driver's seat. She started the car and drove down the road to the pizza parlor. Gideon and her climbed out the car and walked into the place. Gideon took in the scent of pizza and grinned.

"Well, it smells mighty tasty in here," Gideon said.

"Just wait till you eat it," Judy replied. Their hostess set them at a booth and their waiter asked for their order. They got a large cheese pizza and split it in half. Judy remembered the last time that she was here. It was with Nick and he ate all four of his pieces. How could he do that? Judy must have let a little whimper out of her because Gideon looked at her with concern.

"Are you okay, Judy?" he wondered.

"Hmm?" Judy looked up. "Um, no. I'm not. I-I miss Nick."

Gideon nodded. "I understand. Why don't we go and visit him?"

"He isn't available for visits. He still hasn't been put into his glass cell yet. I just talked to his doctor a few days ago and he said that he'll be put in the cell within a week."

Judy saw Gideon tense at the mention of her doctor.

"Giddy? Are you okay?"

"No…I mean yes. Yeah, I'm fine. I just burned myself," Gideon replied. But Judy knew he was hiding something.

"Gideon?"

"I'm fine, alright?" he snapped. Judy was shocked. She never heard him snap like that before—other than when they were kids.

"I'm sorry, Judy. I shouldn't have snapped," Gideon sighed. "I just burned myself."

"Okay," Judy said. After a few awkward moments, Gideon asked, "Are you gonna eat that?"

"Be my guest," Judy giggled, pushing her last 2 pieces of pizza towards the fox. He ate them quickly and Judy watched with a smile on her face.

After Gideon finished, Judy paid the bill and then the two of them headed for the door. They got into the car and drove down the road to Judy's apartment.

"Mrs. Shellie might have an extra room for you to stay in," Judy explained as they started walking into the building. "If not, there is a hotel next door."

"I'm only going to stay for a few days," Gideon explained. Judy nodded.

"Yeah, I know. Which is good because I have to work."

"Well, come on. Let's find me a room."

##############################################################################

About 2 days later, after Judy showed Gideon around town during her free hours off work, Judy decided to go check up on Nick. She asked Gideon to go with her. He refused a lot, but Judy finally got him to come with her. She wondered why Gideon didn't want to come, but she ignored the little mystery.

They walked into the building and Judy told Josh the usual. They walked to room 250 and Judy walked in. Gideon seemed a little nervous about walking in. Judy wondered why, but it was none of her business.

"Hi, Dr. Barns," Judy greeted.

"Hey, Judy. Hey…" Dr. Barn's face dropped as he saw Gideon walk in. Judy was really confused, but Dr. Barn replaced that look with a warm smile.

"Hello, sir. You just looked like someone else at first," he said. Judy thought she saw a certain glance pass between the two of them. She was really confused and a bit suspicious. But it was probably nothing. Maybe Dr. Barns didn't feel comfortable around foxes…But he never acted like that towards Nick, but then again Nick was his patient and he had to make Nick feel comfortable.

"Um, I'm here for the update on Nick," Judy explained.

"Yes, yes. Let's see…" he looked down at some papers on his desk. "Nick Wilde will be put in the glass cell in 3 more days."

"Oh, okay. That's…good," Judy said, managing a smile. At least she'd be able to see him, but it'd pain her to see her fox who wasn't himself. Judy wanted him back. "Anything else?"

"We're trying to search for the cure and…" Dr. Barns sighed. "Judy, Nick is going to be the test subject for this, okay? And if he recovers…"

"If?" Judy began to tremble.

"I'm sorry, Judy. But it's practically impossible for a mammal to live—even with a cure—when they're already in their savage stage in rabies. I'm sorry."

"T-thank you," Judy sniffed. She turned around and met Gideon's eyes that were full of sympathy.

"Let's go," Judy mumbled. Gideon followed her out the door and quietly closed the officer door behind them.

They drove away to Judy's apartment (since Gideon was staying at an apartment there too) and Judy invited Gideon into her small one. Gideon came in and sat on the chair by her desk as Judy sat on her bed, pulling her knees up to her face.

"The Doctor is wrong, ya know," Gideon finally said. Judy looked up at him. She hadn't cried at all, but she was aching inside.

"No, you heard him!" Judy snapped. "There is no hope for Nick now! It's too late. All I can do now is watch that idiotic fox during his last days. That's it!"

Instead of crying, Judy got angry. She grabbed the thing closest to her (which was her carrot pen) and flung it across the room. Gideon jumped as she did, surprised to see Judy act this way.

"Judy, calm down," Gideon soothed. "Getting angry will only make things worse."

"Well, it's making me feel better," Judy snorted. Gideon sighed and shook his head.

"Look, Judy. I-I'm leaving now. I'm leaving in like, 15 minutes. I already got my train ticket and everything is packed…" Gideon said. "I'm sorry that it's a few days earlier than you expected me to leave, but I decided that it's about time that you need to be alone to figure things out in your head, and I can't be here when you do it."

Judy looked at Gideon, her eyes full of gloominess. "Okay, Giddy. That's alright."

Gideon walked over and hugged the small bunny. "I'll visit sometime soon, though, okay? Or you can visit us at Bunnyburrow."

"Okay," she whispered. "I just...I don't know how to thank you for being such a great friend."

"Well…like this…"

Judy was shocked to feel it, but Gideon set a light kiss on her cheek. He smiled while his blue eyes glowed.

"That was payback for back in Bunnyburrow."

Judy giggled. "Aw, Giddy!" Then she hugged the fox tightly. "Now, you go on. I know that your bakery is waiting for you."

"Alright, you little bunny. I'll see you soon. Don't forget to update me on Nick."

"The fox with no hope?" Judy felt burning rage inside of her. If only she could have sensed it in Nick sooner…

"No, the fox _with_ hope."

Then Gideon Gray slipped out of Judy's door, leaving her alone in the dark.

##############################################################################

In just days, Judy would be able to see Nick. She was thinking about this in her police car, looking out for speeders. This wasn't really the action that she wanted, but it beat sitting in an office checking and reporting files all day. But what she really wanted was an interrogation. And she knew just the mammal she could do it on.

Just the day before, as Judy was planning it, she got Nick's phone from Dr. Barns. It had been in his pocket the entire time and Judy found 15 unread messages from Finnick and Alay. There was also one from Chief Bogo. It said:

 _*Officer Wilde, I wish you luck on your new job. We, at the ZPD, respect your decision, but I just wanted to let you know that you were a great cop. I hope you do well in your life.*_

Those were some pretty emotional words coming from Chief Bogo. Judy didn't know that Chief Bogo would text him something like that, but apparently he meant that much to him. Yes, Nick _was_ a great police, but Judy thought that Bogo hated Nick from his smart-alec remarks. But one could get used to that.

Judy, being a police and knowing certain tricks, hacked into Nick's phone. She went to his messages and went to Alay's contact. She began to text him and said:

 _*Hey, Sweetheart. Sorry that I haven't been able to keep up with you. I've been really busy on some classified work. Meet me at Icy's Café today and I can explain everything.*_

Judy grinned as she sat in the police car, typing away on Nick's phone. The car was parked behind Icy's Café and she had her Taser and everything ready. While she waited for Alay to respond, she read some of Finnick's messages.

"Oh, oooooooooooookay..." Judy breathed out. "Those are pretty dirty…"

Then the phone buzzed.

 _*Nick? W-what? I thought that…you were…Judy said…WHY HAVEN'T YOU BEEN TEXTING ME FOR 2 WEEKS?!*_

Judy replied, smirking.

 _*I'm sorry, Baby. I told you that I had some classified work to do that took away time to text you. Meet me at Icy's Café ASAP.*_

 _*But…Judy said that you were savage! Are you sure that this is you, Nick?*_

 _*Of course it's me. And you know stupid bunnies. They over exaggerate. A lot. Judy—being a bunny—just got scared over an attack that I had. But I got over it. And she's probably freaking out now because she thinks that I've gone savage since she hasn't seen me in 2 weeks because of some classified job I'm doing.*_

 _*But what about_ our _job?*  
*Sweetheart, I told you that I would explain _everything _once you get over here, okay?*_

 _*Okay, Nick. I'm just glad that you're okay. I'm on my way. Love you!*_

 _*Love you too.*_

Judy squealed with delight. This was working out perfectly! That gullible fox…Judy laughed in the car, so happy that this was going to work!

The sly bunny leaned up against the side wall of the café, hiding in the alley and looking out for Alay. Once she saw the fox, she'd Taser her and handcuff her. This was just way too easy!

Judy saw the vixen come into view. She was looking around, suspiciously, as she jogged towards the café. Once Alay was in the perfect place, Judy jumped out from the alley and Tasered the vixen. Alay fell to the ground and Judy ran up to her and handcuffed her. She lifted the fox up and dragged her all of the way back to the car—which was really hard work, dragging Alay around, especially since she was bigger than Judy.

Judy shoved Alay into the back seat of the police car—and of course, she buckled her—and drove away towards the ZPD jail house. Within a few minutes, Alay got out of shock and began gasping.

"W-what?" Alay mumbled. "What's going on?"

"Hold on, baby. I'll explain _everything_ soon," Judy smirked, adjusting the mirror so that the two could see each other. "More like, _you'll_ explain everything."

"You, you, you…you tricked me!" Alay shrieked.

"It's called a hustle, sweetheart," Judy cooed. Alay let a growl escape her lips.

"How could I have been so…"

"Gullible?" Judy cut in. "Yeah, I wondered that myself."

Within minutes, they arrived. Judy got out of the car and grabbed Alay out. Alay growled when Judy grabbed her handcuffs and took her into the jail house. Officer Emma, the raccoon at the front counter, gave Judy a questioning look.

"I have an interrogation," Judy explained. Officer Emma nodded and let them carry on. Judy grabbed a set of keys and shoved Alay into a cell. Then Judy followed her in and locked the door behind them.

Judy crossed her arms and looked at the vixen. "Now, start talking."

"A-about what?" Alay stuttered.

"You know very well what," Judy growled. "Tell me everything that you know about Nick going savage!"

"Stop assuming things, rabbit," Alay snarled.

"You proved things that night when you ran out the café with tears in your eyes," Judy replied.

"Because you said Nick went savage," Alay responded.

"No, _not_ because he went savage. Because you _knew._ You knew why this is happening to Nick and the guilt was written all over you face."

Judy let a breath out and sighed. "I…I just want the truth. I want you to explain _why_ Nick is like this," she said. Alay looked down at her feet, feeling the same thing that Judy felt.

"Judy, this is too hard to explain. It's too painful. And I didn't even want to do this. I…I can't," Alay whined. Judy suddenly realized that Alay was telling the truth. No fox, no matter how tricky they were, could hide or fake strong feelings.

"Alay," Judy said softly. "I trust you. You can tell me. I swear, I won't hurt you or even do anything. I just want the truth."

Alay shook her head and sighed. "I'm gonna regret this," she muttered. Then she looked up at Judy, took in a deep breath, and uncovered the lies.

 **Sorry that Gideon's visit was really short. I'm sorry for those who were looking forwards to it. I just had to rush through it because I have a LOT to write. But Gideon will be explained more at the end, I assure you that.**


	23. Wasting All These Tears

**A.N: Gosh, these are frequent updates! But I kinda have to get this done…I'm not rushing, but you know what I mean.**

 **Here's a chapter with more drama. I don't know if you'll need tissues for this one, but you WILL need them soon…**

 **This chapter, BTW, is based off of the song "Wasting All These Tears" by Cassadee Pope. Well, more towards the end, anyways. LilyTheNinjaGirl will be able to tell. ;)**

 **23**

 _Wasting All These Tears_

Everything was all fitting together now. All of the lies were unfolded and made so much more sense. But after Alay told her the truth, she couldn't help but feel that she was hiding something. Hiding something _big._

"So, that means…" Judy mumbled after Alay finished. The vixen nodded.

"And you're…" Judy looked so shocked at the vixen. "Oh my."

"Yeah, I know," Alay replied. "It's really crazy."

Judy nearly fainted. This was too much. Way too much for her, but it helped a lot and it made her trust Alay pretty much 100%.

"Thanks for telling me," Judy said. "Or maybe no thanks. I don't know how to take this all in."

"I know," Alay sighed.

And then, it dawned on Judy. What she had just did was super illegal. If anybody found out about this…Oh no. Officer Emma. _She better not tell anyone about this interrogation._

"Look, Alay. I'm sorry for bringing you in like this. But if Chief Bogo finds out about this…"

Alay's eyes went wide as she realized what was wrong. "Oh, Judy. Don't worry, I'll…I'll help you if you get into any real trouble, okay? Just text me if you need my help."

"How could you help? If the news get to Chief somehow…Oh, no. I can get fired! This is against the law and I was being so stupid, trying to get the truth on Nick and…Oh…Nick…"

"Judy, it's okay," Alay whispered. "I'll help you get through this. _We_ will get through this."

"Well, I better get us out of here," Judy spoke, grabbing the keys from her pocket. She unlocked the cell door and let Alay out first. Then, after Judy slipped out, she hung them back up on their hook and motioned for Alay to follow her. Once they were outside and away from other officers, Judy turned to the vixen.

"I'm sorry that I made you go through that," Judy said.

"It's okay," Alay responded. "I knew that I wouldn't get out of there until I told you everything. Besides, it felt good telling someone else. It's been inside of me for forever."

Then Alay leaned forwards and hugged Judy.

"I'm sorry that you felt played," Alay said, slipping away from the short hug. "I… _we_ just had to do it."

"Oh, I understand." Judy managed a smile. "You keep out of trouble, okay Alay?"

"Well, I _was_ planning on murdering someone tonight in a dark alley, but I guess I can't now," Alay winked. Judy giggled.

"If you even try, I'll go after you and Taser you again," Judy chuckled. Alay laughed at the bunny.

"I'm glad that we worked things out between us. But the past helped with that." Then the fox waved at Judy before spinning around on her heel and running out of sight.

It was when Judy was walking off when it struck her. Her interrogation was recorded! And if Officer Emma…oh gosh, no. She didn't even need the recording to prove to Chief Bogo that Judy was interrogating someone. Judy began to shiver in fright. She was such a stupid, stupid bunny.

"Did things turn out okay?" Officer Emma asked when they walked in. "Why did you let the fox go?"

"It turns out that she wasn't guilty, she was just forced to do bad things. I need to find her boss—whoever he is—and interrogate him."

"Oh. Should I let Chief know about this?"

"No!" Judy exclaimed. "No, I'll tell him about it myself, okay? It's my responsibility."

"Okay, Officer Hopps," Emma smiled. "Do you need anything else?"

"I left something in the cell. I'll be right back," Judy lied. She ran down to the cell where Alay was and glanced at the security camera in the corner. She ran over to the opposite wall, jumped up, and rested her feet on some bars from the cell as she took the memory card out of the security camera. Then she shoved it in her pocket and jumped down.

"I got it, thanks," Judy said to Officer Emma. "I'll see you around."

Judy ran out of the jail house and hopped into her car. Now, hopefully, everything was all settled. Once Judy erased the video, she could sneak back in one day and put it back in the security camera. Then everything would be good.

##############################################################################

 _Judy glanced at the blood staining her paws as she held her fox in her arms. His breathing came in quick, little breaths, but it wasn't enough to keep him alive for long._

 _"_ _No, no, no," Judy whispered as Nick panted harder and harder, obviously losing this battle for life._

 _"_ _Stay with me, Nick. Stay with me!" Judy shouted. "Don't go Nick. I need you, my dumb fox. Stay with me! Please!"_

 _The fox panted heavily, his emerald eyes looking at Judy one last time before they rolled into the back of his head and his eye lids fluttered shut. Judy started hyperventilating and stared at the lifeless fox._

 _"_ _No, no, no!" Judy exclaimed, dropping her head and letting the tears roll down her face. She stroked Nick's dead head over and over again, mumbling, "No," multiple times. With one free paw, she blocked the flowing wound in Nick's side. Maybe, just maybe, she could bring Nick back to life somehow. She tried doing CPR, hoping that it'd work. And it did a bit. She watched as Nick let in a breath and looked at Judy. Judy's eyes grew wide as she looked at the fox coming back to life, but only for a few moments._

 _"_ _Say something, Nick. Please," Judy said, looking into his eyes. The fox opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Instead, he grabbed Judy's paw and looked at her with fear in his eyes. He again opened his mouth to speak and spoke with a scratchy voice, "Go!"_

 _Judy didn't understand. She looked behind her, but nothing was there._

 _"_ _Nick what do you…" But her fox was already dead; for good this time. Judy shook her head._

 _"_ _No, Nick! Don't die! Come back to me! Don't die!"_

 _As Judy sobbed into Nick, she heard a gunshot. She ducked down for a few seconds before turning her head around. She saw a silhouette of a fox-sized animal running away, but Judy couldn't make out what creature it was. She grew angry, knowing that that animal was responsible for Nick's death._

 _Then Judy threw her head back and let out an angry cry._

The bunny sat up in bed, feeling tears on her face. She must have been crying her in sleep. All of these nightmares were unbearable. Judy couldn't stand them any longer.

After Judy had erased the video of Alay and her on the memory card, Judy slipped back into the cell during Emma's lunch break and put it back in the security camera. Easy work.

But here was Judy now, 3 hours before 7:00am. Today would be the day that Judy could see Nick. She was excited, but scared. She knew that she herself would never be the same, especially after all of this. She couldn't imagine life without Nick, but something inside of her told her that she better start get used to it. Permanently.

Judy snuggled back down into bed, waiting for sleep to come. And surprisingly, it came quite easily. And without a nightmare. That was probably the first time that Judy could sleep right after a nightmare. Her mind was making some improvements.

##############################################################################

Judy trotted down the halls of the Zootopia Central Hospital. Her heart pounded and she was really nervous. Nick was just a few steps away, but he'd be separated from her by a thick layer of glass.

Judy was walking to the room that Josh told her that Nick was being held in. Judy had thanked him and headed on her way there. She had to go up 3 stories in an elevator where all of their recovering patients and 'subjects' were held. Judy walked up to room 370 and held her breath. _This is it._ The timid bunny pushed through the door and then her eyes fell on him.

The fox was pacing back and forth in the glass cell, saliva dripping from his lips and the whites of his eyes red. A growl rumbled in his throat and he occasionally attacked the glass walls. The back of his cell was concrete and a door was there so that doctors could go in and feed him and do whatever they needed to do with him.

Judy gasped at the sight of Nick. _That's not Nick,_ she told herself, watching the savage fox run into the glass. He fell back onto his back and let out a yelp. Seeing him like this made tears rise in Judy's eyes.

Judy walked up to the glass and looked at Nick. He sat down and growling, causing more foamy saliva to form on his lips. She rested one paw against the glass and looked into his savage, dull eyes. Judy looked at him long and hard before she closed her eyes tightly and clenched her paws into fists.

Judy felt a paw rest on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Dr. Barns giving her a sad smile.

"I know it's hard, Judy," he said. "But it'll be alright."

Judy turned back and looked at Nick—who decided to go crazy again. He spotted Judy and ran towards her, jumping up against the glass. Judy jumped back and looked at Nick as his two front paws leaned up against the glass. His nose was pressed against the glass as he snarled at Judy. Then he jumped down on all fours again and prowled around.

"That's not Nick," Judy whispered in horror. "I want _my_ Nick. Please, doctor. Bring him back."

"Oh, Judy," Dr. Barns sighed. "If only I could."

Judy let out a whimper and looked at Nick again. He began to roll on the ground and rubbed his head against the back concrete wall.

"Is that…normal?" Judy wondered.

"No, that's pretty unusual," Dr. Barns replied. "He could have an itch somewhere."

"Oh." Was all Judy said.

Judy soon couldn't bear the sight of Nick anymore. He began to act savage again and seeing him like this made Judy feel like a bullet shot right through her heart. She turned around and raced out of the room, wiping away the tears that escaped from her eyes. She couldn't bear to look at her fox anymore. That _wasn't_ the Nick she knew and loved. Her best friend, trapped behind glass…Judy shook her head and walked in the elevator, trying to get the savage Nick image out of her head.

Once Judy flung open her apartment door, she slammed it shut behind her and ran onto her bed and began to sob into her pillow. And then she heard it. The carrot pen. She forgot that it was by her door and when she slammed it closed, it must have played the recorded message.

 _"_ _Carrots, who is your favorite mammal in the whole world? Come on now, we both know who it is."_

And then her voice came in. _"I know what you're doing, Slick Nick. You're recording me..."_

That's as far as it got before the recording cut off. Judy slowly walked over and picked up the carrot pen and replayed the recording. She took in Nick's voice, holding the pen close to her heart. It had been over two weeks. Over two weeks since she heard Nick's precious voice. Judy played the recording over and over again. _Nick._ That's all that rang through her head. She listened closely as he called her 'Carrots.' How she wished she could hear him say it again. She missed the nic-names he called her and she'd do _anything_ to hear his voice call her Carrots again.

 _"_ _Carrots, who is your favorite…"_

"It's you," Judy whispered. "Nick Wilde, it is _you."_

Judy let a few tears come out as she listened to the recording repeatedly.

"My favorite mammal will be dead soon," Judy mumbled to the recording. She sat on the hardwood floor, rocking back and forth. "Nick, if only I could tell you everything. How I…"

Judy stopped. Her eyes drooped and she dropped the carrot pen. The exhausted bunny needed some sleep. And that's just what she did. Sleep.

##############################################################################

Judy tried to visit Nick the next day. This time, she knew what to expect. She'd be stronger. Way stronger. She wouldn't let the savage Nick frighten her or make her cry.

It was Judy's lunch break. She was all cramped up after sitting in her office for quite a few hours. When she got her lunch break, she drove to the store to pick up some blueberries before driving to the hospital.

Judy pushed her way through the door and looked at Nick, pacing around again. Judy took in a deep breath and walked closer to the cell. She set a smile on her face and showed Nick the blueberries.

"See what I have for you, Nick?" Judy said. "Here are some blueberries. They're your favorite."

Nick ran up and attacked the glass. Judy jumped back and her nose twitched in fear. _That was pretty scary._

Dr. Barns showed up in room within a few minutes. Judy greeted him and showed the blueberries to the doctor.

"They're for Nick," she explained. "They're his favorite food."

Dr. Barns nodded. "Okay. Just stay right here and I'll be right back."

Judy watched as the doctor walked through a door at the back of the room. That door led to a little room where there was another door that led into Nick's cell. She waiting for about 5 minutes and then she finally saw Dr. Barns in a protecting suit, throwing in the box of blueberries. Then he slammed the door shut and locked it.

Judy watched as Nick ran after the blueberries and gobbled them up. Judy watched in painful amusement. Nick hadn't lost his love for blueberries, even in his rabies state.

The fox saw one of the blueberries roll away and he ran after it and dived for it. Judy watched as he made a clumsy landing, but he got the fruit in his mouth in the end. Judy giggled a bit, but her heart filled back with sorrow. Nick probably didn't even know who he was at the moment or what was going on. The rabies probably took away his memory. That means that he wouldn't even recognize her.

"Nick," Judy whispered. "Nick."

The fox didn't even acknowledge her. Judy expected that, but it made her wince. What if he survived—which was a very low chance of that—but he lost his entire memory and he wouldn't remember her at all?

Judy slumped down against the outside of the sell. She crossed her arms and looked at her paws. Why was she even here? Seeing Nick only made things so much more painful. _Because you're his friend and he'd do the same for you._ Would he? Would he really? He had Alay, but…he didn't even know the truth about her. He'd have to be told the truth _if_ he ever survived.

"Judy?"

She looked up and saw Dr. Barns looking down at her.

"You don't have to be here," he explained.

"Yes I do. He's my friend," Judy replied, standing up straight.

"Well, in 10 minutes, we're going to be doing some testing on him and you can't be around for that," Dr. Barns said. "I probably shouldn't even have given him those blueberries right then."

"I'll leave here soon," Judy said. "I just…hope that you can find the antidote in time."

Dr. Barns took her paws in his. "I'm doing everything I can, Judy."

"I know." Judy turned around and looked at Nick. There was saliva all over the cell floor. It was kinda gross, but she knew that he couldn't help it. He wasn't himself.

After a few more minutes, Judy looked at Nick again. His shirt was ripped up a little. He probably clawed at it a bit, but it was her favorite shirt of Nick's. His Hawaiian shirt was now ruined.

"Nick," Judy whispered. "Why did you leave me? You left me all alone. I want you back."

Judy looked at Nick attempting to get his tail like a little puppy. Judy sighed and turned to leave.

When Judy got home that night after work, she plopped down on her bed and grabbed her carrot pen. She played the recording once just to hear Nick's beautiful voice. It brought tears to her eyes and Judy curled up on her bed.

 _Why am I crying? It does me no good. Wasting these tears on Nick doesn't matter. He didn't want me. In fact, the last thing he said to me was that he made a wrong decision by being friends. So why am I crying over him?_

Judy sighed and looked out her window. _I wish I could erase us; our memory. He didn't care about me._

Judy snuggled down in bed and rested her head on her pillow. _He won't cause me another sleepless night. I have got to get over him. I need to. No more wasting my tears on that fox. No more wasting any tears at all._

 **As you can tell, now Judy is trying to get over Nick because…well…there really isn't much hope for him…Our little, emotional bunny is gonna try to stay strong and get over him…But how long will that last?**

 **I'm so sorry that I'm doing this to our all-time favorite character, Nick Wilde. But it has to be done…**

 **REVIEW! They're in order from** ** _every_** **single reader if you want me to update…**


	24. A Little Bit Stronger

**A/N: Sorry guys that I haven't updated in a while. I've been having a busy week, so bear with me. I hope you enjoy, though.**

 **24**

 _A Little Bit Stronger_

Judy woke up late on Thursday morning, 2 days after she had visited Nick last. The morning was cloudy and gloomy, instantly setting Judy in a bad mood. She looked out the window and saw a few water droplets hit her window. _Looks like rain,_ she sighed to herself. Then she glanced at her clock and realized the time: 9:13am. Judy was over 2 hours late for work. But for some reason, she didn't feel guilt or panic. She oddly felt like she didn't care.

The bunny finally managed to drag herself out of her creaky bed. She slipped her untidy uniform over her body and pinned her badge on just a bit better so it wasn't too sloppy. Even though she wasn't feeling her best, she didn't want to lose her pride of being a police officer.

Judy walked outside into the rain on her way to her car. She heard the cars and trucks honking, knowing that today would have horrible traffic. The water was coming in a light mist and sprinkled on her face, feeling pleasantly comfortable. But then the rain came crashing down without any warning and Judy bolted for the car. She hopped in and the air conditioning hit her wet fur and made her shiver. That did not feel good at all. It made Judy feel sick, so she turned it off instantly before driving out onto the road.

Judy got stuck in traffic and finally couldn't stand being alone anymore, so she flipped on her radio and another song called "Haunted" by Taylor Pig came on. Judy listened to the intense lyrics and something stung her. Those exact words reminded her of hers and Nick's current conditions. Judy listened to the song for a little while—with a mixture of horror and pain on her face—before switching in to another station. The next song wasn't any better. It didn't remind her of anything, it was just a really annoying song.

Judy pulled into the ZPD and rushed into the building, setting a frown on her face. Judy wasn't normally one to be in a bad mood, but she sure didn't feel happy. Clawhauser saw Judy hop in and gasped.

"Judy, you're…"

"Late? U-huh, yeah. I _think_ I noticed that," Judy retorted.

"No, I mean…" the cheetah shook his head. "You don't look so well, Judy. Do you want to talk about it? I know having Nick gone hurts a lot of us here and…"

"He's not gone like you think," she snorted.

"I know. Chief Bogo told us everything. I'm so sorry."

Judy stood there, awkwardly, looking down at her feet. What should she say? Thank you? That she was sorry too? After a few more moments, the bunny looked up at the cheetah and gave a little smile.

"I, um…you know. I should be going!" Judy said. "I'll see you…"

"Yeah, okay," Clawhauser replied, waving at the bunny that began to hop away.

Judy moped down the halls, not wanting to go into her office. On her way there, Officer Hermit stopped her and gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Hey, Hopps. I'm real sorry about Officer Nick. We're all gonna miss him and…I just hope he recovers well."

Judy nodded and bit her lip. Hard.

"Yeah, me too."

Hermit rubbed her back, comfortingly.

"If you ever need to talk to someone, we're always open."

 _We? Who's 'we'? I don't want to talk to anyone! I just want to talk to_ Nick!

But Judy managed a smile (she was faking so many that day) and replied, "Thanks, Hermit."

Then she'd walk down the hall and quietly slip into her office. She plopped down into her chair and sighed. She was surprised that Chief Bogo hadn't called her up yet. After all, she _was_ pretty late.

 _"_ _Hopps!"_ she heard from her office phone. _Oh,_ now _he wants me._ Judy held down a button on the phone to reply.

"Yes, Chief?"

 _"_ _Report to my office. Immediately."_

"Yes sir."

Judy slipped out of her office and walked up a flight of stairs to get to Chief Bogo's office. She knocked on his door and he said, "Come in," pretty much immediately. Judy opened the door and walked up to her chief, nervously. Was he gonna yell at her for being late? No, that wasn't like Chief Bogo, especially since he knew that she was going through hard times.

"Have a seat," the buffalo grunted. Judy did as was told and set her paws in her lap.

"Am I in trouble, sir?" Judy asked. Bogo shook his head and glanced at some papers.

"No, Hopps. But trouble is stirring," he explained. This seemed excited, so Judy sat up taller in her seat. Maybe she's get a case to solve! It had been a while since she had one, and it'd get her mind off of _him._ But Judy was getting better at getting stronger. She never cried about him anymore, though she did feel hurt majorly. Her partner was behind glass, not being able to control himself.

Chief Bogo cleared his throat. "Hopps, there is a criminal on the loose who has been doing illegal doings right below our noses for so long without us knowing about him," Bogo began. "He's been hiring many mammals by to do illegal things for him by force. This has been happening for so long and we have just found out about it. We need to put a stop to it, Officer. Hopps. _You_ need to put a stop to it."

Judy nearly smiled brightly, but she wasn't going to blow anything. "Do you know who this criminal is?"

"Unfortunately, no. But I've had many witnesses who ran into his 'minions' who explained that they were forced to do wrong things. If you happen to run into one…"

Judy ignored Chief Bogo. Was Alay one of the so called 'minions?' She never told her who her 'boss' was. Probably because she'd get killed if she did. But if she happened to find this evildoer, then she could set the vixen free.

"I'll take the case," Judy said. "Please."

"Alright, Hopps. I'll let you decide who you want your partner to be, but you have 24 hours before you start…"

"Chief," Judy cut in. "No disrespect, but…I want to try doing this on my own. I've never cracked a case on my own before and I have a feeling that I can do it."

"Officer Hopps, I don't know…"

"Please! If I ever end up needing help, then I'll ask someone. But I just want a chance to try doing this all by myself."

Chief Bogo sighed deeply. "Alright, Officer Hopps. I'll give you 48 hours to crack this case on your own, and if you haven't cracked in that time, you'll have to find a partner."

 _Typical Chief Bogo._

Judy smiled and nodded. "Deal."

##############################################################################

Clawhauser had just handed Judy the list of witnesses and she was on her way. She drove off in the police car, heading for her first witness: Benny China. Judy neared his house towards the outside of Zootopia. It was old and the house was missing a few wooden slats, but it didn't look totally abandoned.

Judy parked the car and walked up to the door. She knocked on the splintery door and looked around, nervously. This place totally looked like a horror house where you could get murdered. _What am I thinking? This is just a house._

The squeaky door creaked open and a tiger came into view. He looked at Judy, nervously, probably thinking that he did something awful since a police was out his door.

"Hi!" Judy greeted, cheerfully. She showed her badge and smiled at the tiger. "I'm Officer Judy Hopps from the ZPD and I'm here to ask you about a case I'm working on."

"O-oh. Come in, Officer Hopps," the tiger said, stepping back and allowing Judy to enter. The house was a lot cleaner on the inside and it was clear that someone definitely lived here.

Benny, the tiger, led Judy into his living room and set her down on a comfortable lounge chair.

"Would you like some green tea?" Benny asked.

"No thank you," Judy replied. The tiger sat down across from Judy on a blue sofa and clasped his paws together.

"Now, what would you like to talk about?" he wondered.

"You _are_ Benny Chine, correct?"

"Yes, I am."

"Well, there is a criminal on the loose, forcing mammals to do terrible things for him. I heard that you have happened to run into one of them," Judy began. "Would you mind telling me all about it?"

"Well…" Benny's brow furrowed deeply as he thought about this. "Let me see…it was a while back, I'd say almost 4 months ago. I ran into a Doberman and I caught him stealing from a hardware store. But it wasn't just money that he was stealing.

"Anyhow, I caught him and he looked at me with fear in his eyes. And that's when he let everything spill. How he was forced to do these works, and if he didn't, his boss would kill him. And I could sense that he wasn't lying. The truth was clear in his voice. The only mammals that can really hide the truth behind their masks are foxes.

"So, I let the Doberman go, and so that he wouldn't get in trouble, I paid everything back that he had to steal. Then I reported this to the ZPD and they didn't care much. So tell me, officer. Why are they starting to care _now?_ "

Judy shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because even more and more encounters like this have been happening, so now my chief knows that there is enough to proof to start this case."

Benny nodded, pleased with this explanation

"Mr. China, can you describe the Doberman for me?"

"Well, let's see. I don't really remember him much, other than that he had a bald patch of fur on the right side of his neck. Other than that, he looked like any other Doberman I've seen."

"Thank you, sir. Is there anything else you can tell me about him?"

"He was wearing a worn out, blue spiked collar."

Judy smiled. "Thank you, Mr. China. That's all I'll need from you today. Thank you for your help."

Judy stood up and Berry led Judy towards the front door. Judy said goodbye to the tiger and drove off to the next witness.

##############################################################################

After visiting 3 more witnesses that day, Judy returned to the ZPD to gather up her stuff that she left there. It was a good start and most of the witnesses were good at retelling their encounters and describing the mammals that were forced to do illegal work.

Many mammals came by and told Judy their 'deepest sympathy' about Nick. At least 10 officers said things like that today, and by the time Judy reached her office, she started breathing heavily, almost hyperventilating. It was the hard breathing that she did before she cried. _Nick._ She hadn't visited the fox in 2 whole days. Her partner was probably relying on her being there. Wait, was he? He was probably thinking like a savage animal, having no thoughts at all. But if he _did_ happen to have thoughts, he was probably wishing for her right then.

Judy gathered up her stuff and raced out of the ZPD—after telling Clawhauser goodbye. Then she jumped into the police car and drove down the road towards the hospital.

She burst through the hospital doors, greeted Josh, went down the halls and into the elevator, and finally reached the 3rd floor. She walked into Nick's room and found her fox in the glass cell, not as active as usual. She walked up to the cell and pressed her gray paws against it, looking at Nick. She hadn't looked into that face for a while—yes, two days was a big time gap for Judy.

"Hey, Nick," she said, softly. "How are you today? Have you been a good boy? I sure hope that Dr. Barns didn't have to use the tranquilizer on you. If so, that proves that you've been a bad, bad boy."

Judy actually giggled at her own words. Even though Nick couldn't reply to her words, she could tease him all she wanted. This was payback for all of those times he teased her when she was on the phone, all of those times her teased her when she lost her voice.

Nick looked up at Judy and attacked the glass. He fell onto his back and rolled back to his feet. Judy rested her paws on her heart, hating to see Nick like this.

"Nick, you sly fox. You can win this battle. I know you can," Judy whispered, trying to convince him that he really could. But she was only trying to convince herself.

Nick let out a weird sounding growl and caught hold of his tail. He chomped his fangs on it and began to dig into it deeper with his teeth.

"Hey, stop that. Stop that!" Judy exclaimed. He held on still, so Judy banged her fists against the glass. It made a rattling sound and it caught Nick's attention. He let go of his tail—which was oozing with blood—and shot a looked at Judy with his terrible, red eyes. Blood dropped down onto the floor and that caught Nick's attention again. He began to lap up the red liquid dropping from his wound, distracting himself from attacking his own tail again.

"Doctor! Doctor Barns!" Judy called. She realized that he was probably in his office, so she grabbed her phone and called him, explaining what happened with Nick's tail. The doctor said that he'd be right up, and in 5 minutes, he was in the room. Judy watched as he entered the small room in the back of the wall. It took him about 7 minutes to collect the gauze and slip on his protective suit before entered Nick's cell. She watched as he walked towards Nick and...muzzled him? _No!_ Doctor Barns slipped a metal muzzle over Nick's snout. Nick fought and shook his head, but it looked as if Dr. Barns was winning this battle.

"No! NO!" Judy shouted, but her voice was almost unheard and Dr. Barns didn't notice it. He finally shoved the muzzle on Nick and then pinned him to the ground. Judy watched, her heart racing. Dr. Barns was rough with Nick. Too rough.

He rapped the gauze around Nick's tail wound after cleaning it up. Then he quickly pulled the muzzle off of Nick before running out of the cell and locking the door behind him.

When Dr. Barns walked out of the small room, he gave Judy an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry about that, but it had to be done," he explained.

"Why?" Judy whispered. "He _hates_ muzzle. Tranquilizing him would have been better, even if it meant he'd sleep a while afterwards."

"Miss Hopps, I hope that you understand that too much tranquilizer medicine can mess with a mammal's brain, even in a state like this."

Judy nodded. "Okay. Thank you doctor. I'll be gone in just a few minutes."

"Okay, good. I can't stay in here with you, though. I've got work to do."

The doctor looked at Nick and then Judy before waving goodbye to the bunny and walking out of the room.

Judy turned to Nick and looked at him, forming more saliva on his lips. Judy sighed and sat against the glass cell. She took her phone out of her pocket and looked at it. Nobody on social media posted anything new, so she decided to do something she hadn't done in a while: look through her camera roll.

Judy saw lots of selfies of her and Nick. _Nick, I remember when you looked like that. I mean, you still look this same, but…I remember when you were_ you.

Then Judy came across a more recent video. It was the one that she recorded while Nick was getting his finger pricked. She smiled a bit as she remembered every single bit of it.

 _"_ _OH MY FREAKING GOSH! THAT HURTS!"_ Nick in the video exclaimed. He continued to rant on about finger pricks and then his face. Oh, gosh. His face when he realized that Judy was recording him. Judy laughed so hard, remembering every facial expression that Nick made. His sad one, his confused one, even his angry one. She missed every single one of them.

Judy looked back up at Nick who was gnawing on a slant of concrete that was sticking out at the back of the wall.

"Nick, I miss you," she said. "I really do."

Judy had stayed longer than she had intended. It had been 20 minutes after Dr. Barns left. She soon realized that she had to go. It was already 8:30pm and she still needed to eat dinner.

"Goodbye Nicky," she said. "I, um…hope to see you soon. I'll try to visit you tomorrow."

Then she turned and left the room, her ears drooping.

##############################################################################

"So, Mrs. Bamboo. Can you tell me more about this mammal?" Judy asked. She was speaking to another witnesses, a panda bear, obviously. So far, she was the most descriptive out of the 5 she spoke to.

"Well, I was on my way to the park when…"

Suddenly Judy's phone began ringing. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Bamboo. Hold that thought."

She answered the phone and put it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Judy." She knew that voice. Dr. Barns. But the sound of his voice didn't sound like things were going well.

"Yes?" Judy said.

"It's time."

 **DUN, DUN, DUN! You waited so long, only to face ANOTHER cliffhanger. What is it with me and my cliffhangers at the worst possible moments? IDK…**

 **I hope you enjoyed my latest chapter. Remember to review!**


	25. Say Something

**A/N: Unless you WANT to cry, I'll give you some advice:**

 **Don't read this while listening to "Say Something" by A Great Big World. It will bring you in tears…**

 **GRAB TISSUES, GUYS!**

 **25**

 _Say Something_

Judy rushed down the hospital hallways, breathing heavily. She fought back the tears that threatened to escape from her eyes. She fixed her eyes on the elevator ahead, wondering if she really _did_ want to go and see him.

Just minutes earlier, Judy was speaking with Mrs. Bamboo. When she heard the news, her phone fell from her hand and she began shaking. Mrs. Bamboo looked at her, quite concerned. She asked what was wrong, but Judy just replied by saying she had some important business to attend to. Then Judy rushed out of the house and ran into her police car. She turned on the sirens on the car so that she could get there faster. She _had_ to see him.

Judy neared room 370, sucking in a very big, deep breath before walking into the door. She slowly pushed it open and the sight before her almost made her fall to her knees.

Nick was lying down on the concrete floor in a sickly state. His eyes were half closed and saliva dripped out of his mouth like blood from a flowing wound. The sight was so disgusting that Judy almost puked. But she managed to hold herself together.

Judy walked up to the glass and pressed her paws against them. Nick made no move. He almost looked as if he were dead. She started breathing heavily, staring at her deadly fox.

"It's painful to see him like this, isn't it?"

Judy turned around to see Dr. Barns.

"You didn't try," she mumbled.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"You didn't try at all! You didn't try hard enough! You didn't try to find a cure and now you're just letting him die!" Judy spat. "HOW COULD YOU?!"

"Judy Hopps, get a hold of yourself!" Dr. Barns exclaimed. "I did everything that I could!"

"Did you? DID YOU REALLY? BECAUSE MY FOX IS DYING! _HE'S DYING BEFORE MY OWN EYES!"_ Judy growled. "You never cared! You muzzled him, you attacked him, you did worthless tests on him, and now you're killing him!"

"Hopps, what do you think doctors are for? To kill our patients?"

"You never even cured Jaws! He died too, and you _never_ tried hard enough! You shouldn't even BE a doctor!" Judy gritted her teeth. "And it's all your fault! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Judy's tears began to flow out of her eyes, uncontrollably. She brought her paws up to her eyes and sobbed into them. Nick was dying right then in that stuffy cell. She wished that she could bring him to her apartment and let him die with her right by his side.

"Judy…" Dr. Barns sighed. "I'm sorry if you feel that way. But he's close to death. He can die any minute now."

"But yesterday he wasn't like this. Why is he now?"

"Yesterday he wasn't as savage as usual," Dr. Barns exclaimed. "Last night he went into some sort of fever and it led into this."

Judy looked at Nick. He only had minutes to live? Maybe about a few hours left. But Judy _needed_ to be by his side.

"I'll let you say your goodbyes," Dr. Barns said. He turned to leave the room, but Judy stopped him.

"Wait!" she said. "I…I want to be by his side for one last time. I need to stay by his side when he dies. That's what…that's what a good friend would do."

More tears rolled down Judy's cheeks. Dr. Barns nodded at the bunny.

"Okay, okay. Let me help you get that protective suit on and then I'll leave you to say your goodbyes," he explained.

"Oh, thanks you!" Judy said. She followed the doctor to the small back room where he explained to her how to put the suit on. Then he helped her pull it on (it was a little big) and opened the cell door for Judy to walk into.

"If he happens to try to attack you—even in this state—just run back into this room and lock the door behind you," Dr. Barns explained.

"I will, thank you," Judy replied, another tear rolling down her cheek. Dr. Barns nudged Judy into the cell and closed the door behind her.

Judy walked up to Nick and knelt down by his side. She stroked his greasy fur and looked into his dull, green eyes. He made no move to attack her and his eyes said that he had no intention to.

"Hey, Nick," she whispered. Judy scratched a spot behind his ears, though it probably didn't feel as good as it could have been since her paws were protected with gloves.

Some of Judy's tears fell onto Nick's red fur. Judy continued to stroke her fox as she began to cry even harder.

"Nick, why did you leave me? WHY?" she wailed. "I need you. You're my best friend, Nick. I can't live without you."

Nick made a little groan noise and tensed his body. After a few moments, he relaxed again and stayed there on the ground looking as sickly as ever.

Judy stroked Nick between the eyes and tears continued to drop on him. Judy didn't care anymore if she cried too much. These were her last moments with her partner, Nick Wilde.

"Nick, stay with me. Please! I need you," Judy carried on. "You are the most brilliant fox ever. And to think, you got criticized so much just for being a _fox."_

Judy balled her paws and looked at Nick. He definitely was losing this battle.

"And to think, I believed that you could make it. But I was only trying to convince myself. There's no way out of this one, partner. This is really our last goodbye."

Judy wiped her nose, even though more tears came rolling down.

She let out a small, bitter chuckle. "Who would have thought that it would end this way? You and me in a glass cell together? Is this how the legendary Nick Wilde is supposed to die?"

The bunny rested her head on Nick's back and lied there for a while, continuing to stroke his fur. Then she took off a glove and stroked his fur with her own skin. It felt so soft, but greasy. Her poor fox. Nick, her best friend, was dying by her side. At least she was here for him. That's what friends were for.

Judy didn't know how long she lied there, but she wasn't done talking. Nick had to hear more. He needed to hear what she had to tell him, even if he couldn't understand in the rabies state.

"Nick, I wish…I wish things didn't go bad back there in Bunnyburrow. You thought that I was scared of you all along. But Nick, I'm not scared of you. You are my very best friend, but now you're…you're…YOU'RE LEAVING ME!"

Judy dropped her head and sobbed, dramatically. She had never cried like this before, but every tear was big and held so much meaning in it. It began to get harder to breath as she wailed, uncontrollably. Her last moments with Nick needed to mean something to her. She couldn't forget this marvelous fox.

"Nick, say something," Judy whispered, blinking out more tears. "Say something, Nick. I'm…I'm giving up on you."

Nick moved a little bit, but then he was still again. Judy stroked him faster and faster, crying harder and harder.

"Nick, I…I need to hear your beautiful voice one last time. Please. SAY SOMETHING!"  
But there was nothing but silence.

"I can't do this anymore. I can't hold onto you. You're almost gone. Please, Nick. I _need_ to hear your voice say their last words. Let it be something meaningful, instead of what you spat at me back in Bunnyburrow. PLEASE!"

Again, silence.

"I was wrong, Nick. I was stupid and feeling so small. I thought that nothing could possibly go wrong. I should've known that the nightmares were trying to tell me something. I should have told you about them, but I couldn't. I was so prideful. I thought that I could handle the pain on my own, but I was so wrong! Oh, I was _so_ wrong, Nick Wilde. And now I'm here, watching you die."

Judy slipped her glove back on and took Nick's muzzle in her paws.

"But I've swallowed my pride, Nick. And I've let everything out. How wrong was I, to treat you so wrong. I was a _horrible_ friend, and you never deserved someone like me."

Judy looked into his half closed eyes that were slowly opening up a little bit more.

"Nick Wilde, it's you. I've been fighting my feelings for so long, trying to hold them back and throw them out, but I can't fight them any longer. It's you. _You_ are the one that I love. I love you so much, Nick Wilde. You were always there for me, but I feel like I was never there for you. I didn't ever deserve you, but here I am, loving you so much. I _love_ you, Nick Wilde. You are the one that I truly love."

Judy hugged Nick tightly and squeezed more tears out of her eyes. "But now I'm saying goodbye."

Judy dropped Nick's head and looked at him. She bent down and set a kiss on his forehead.

"You will always be with me, Nick. I'm sure of it. You will forever be remembered, my Nick. My precious, sly, dumb fox. Oh Nick!"

Judy cried into his neck and wrapped her arms around him. "I love you."

Just then, the small door bursted open and Dr. Barns walked in. He grabbed hold of Judy's arm and began to drag her away.

"Wait!" Judy cried.

"Judy, we have to go."

"NO!" Judy shouted. "I'M NOT LEAVING HIM! I'M NOT LEAVING HIM ALONE TO DIE!"

"Come ON!" Dr. Barns jerked on her arm and dragged her out of the cell. Judy screamed a blood coiling scream.

"NO! NICK, NO!"

Judy kicked and fought, but it was no use. Dr. Barns was already stripping the protective suit off of Judy and pushing her out of the small room.

"Go home, Judy. You said goodbye, so go. There's nothing more you can do here."

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? I NEED HIM! I NEED TO BE BY HIS SIDE AS HE DRAWS HIS LAST BREATH! WHAT A MONSTER YOU ARE!"

"OFFICER JUDY HOPPS, LEAVE THIS BUILDING!" Dr. Barns exclaimed. "You…you are no longer needed here."

Judy didn't bother to wipe her tears. Instead, she looked at Nick one last time and pressed her paws up against the glass.

"Goodbye, Nick Wilde. I love you more than words can express. You will always be here in my heart and in my most fond memories."

Regretfully, Judy turned and left room 370, sobbing her heart out.

##############################################################################

"So, Nick Wilde. It's just come down to you and me," Dr. Barns said, looking at the dying fox behind the glass. "Maybe I should just make things easier on you and…"

Suddenly, another doctor bursted through the door, holding a container.

"SIR! I FOUND IT!"

He rushed towards Dr. Barns, being careful not to drop the container.

"The antidote, Dr. Barns! I was in your office, getting the papers like you asked me to when I found this…" the doctor (a leopard) slowly looked up at Dr. Barns who had a deep frown on his face. "Wait a minute…you had this all along. Were you going to…kill him?"

"Hand it over, Dr. Tales."

"Um, no…I think that I'll hold onto this myself," he said, slowly trying to inch his way to the back door. But Dr. Barns pulled a gun from beneath his lab coat.

"Hand it over, Dr. Tales!" he growled.

"Do you WANT this Nick Wilde dead? You had this all along! Why the hell would you do that?!"

Dr. Barns loaded the gun and glared at the leopard. "GIVE IT TO ME!"

Fear sprung from Dr. Tales's eyes. He did the only thing he knew he could do. He had to save Nick.

"JUDY HOPPS!"

 **Aaaaaaaaaaaand, there you go. It was a shorter chapter, I know. But I hope that you enjoyed it. I know, ANOTHER cliffhanger.**

 **Will Nick survive? Yes? Or no? I mean, Dr. Barns is pretty smart…he has a gun and all…**

 **Review, REVIEW! REIVEW!**


	26. Nick!

**A/N: Aaaaaaaaaaaaand…the chapter you've all been waiting for is here! It's a long chapter, so really. ENJOY YOURSELVES!**

 **26**

 _Nick!_

Judy dragged her feet down the halls. She gave up way too easily! She should have fought more, but she knew that she could do nothing. Dr. Barns might have tranquilized her if she hadn't left. Maybe it was for the best, but…Nick…

Judy continued to sob as she walked down the hallways. Her last moments with Nick would never be forgotten. That fox would never be forgotten. His name would be known everywhere. Judy would make sure of it.

Suddenly, she heard a blood curling shout. But she was practically positive that it was her name that was being called out. Judy turned around and perked her ears forward. It was coming from Nick's room! Judy didn't hesitate. Her feet took off running down the hall. She didn't stop, instead she ran right through the room and the sight shocked her.

Dr. Barns pointed his gun at Dr. Tales. Judy stood in shock for a moment, taking in the scene, before returning to her senses.

"Stop!" Judy shouted. Dr. Barns sent in a venomous look that made Judy's blood stir. What was going on?

Judy was so grateful that she was wearing her police uniform. If she wasn't, then she wouldn't look so intimidating without her gun. Dr. Barns saw as Judy drew her gun from her side and pointed it at him.

"Drop the gun, Walter Barns!"

Dr. Barns stood in shock for a moment. She had just used his first name. That probably meant business, but he wasn't going to lose this thing. He was going to win this battle.

"Judy Hopps, drop the gun," Dr. Barns spat.

"That's _Officer_ Judy Hopps to you," Judy responded, tempted to load her gun. "Now, explain to me. What is going on here?"

"Barns had the antidote all along and he was trying to kill Nick!" Dr. Tales shouted. Dr. Barns glowered at Dr. Tales and pointed his gun closer to the leopard, indicating that he was about to shoot. But before he could, Dr. Barns felt a sharp pain in his head and he dropped to the floor. Judy stood above him, pointing her gun at the badger.

"You _what?_ " she hissed. "You were going to kill Nick all along?!"

"Well, that was the plan," Dr. Barns shrugged. But Judy loaded her gun and clenched her teeth together.

"This is no time for jokes," she growled. "Why would you want to kill him?!"

Dr. Barns only gave a grunt and looked away from the bunny. Judy grabbed hold of his shoulders and shook them, vigorously.

"WHY?!" she demanded.

"Why do you even care about him? He's a _fox._ Foxes used to _eat_ rabbits!" Dr. Barns said.

"Because he is my best friend and I love him!" Judy replied, saying more than she meant to. But she went on. "He's the most extraordinary fox ever, and he can't die. Not yet. There is no reason for him to! So tell me. WHY DO YOU WANT TO KILL HIM?!"

"Because he's a FOX!"

Judy didn't expect the blow, but Dr. Barns brought up his back legs and kicked Judy straight in the jaw. Judy stumbled backwards with a yelp. When she looked up, Dr. Barns stuck his gun at Judy's throat. Her heart pounded. What could she do?

"Listen to me, _rabbit._ I have my reasons for him to die, and you have your reasons for him to live. The only one who gets what they want it the one who has the power. That's _me._ "

Dr. Barns turned around for a second and glanced at Dr. Tales—who was creeping towards him with his claws out. The badger furrowed his eyebrows and aimed his gun at the leopard before releasing the bullet. Dr. Tales fell to the ground and blood instantly flowed out of his bullet wound. Judy let a scream escape from her before she covered her mouth with her paws. Dr. Barns turned around again to face Judy and let an evil smirk creep on his face. He shrugged with the smug look on.

"See? I'm the powerful one here. So you better back off little bunny, so that I can finish my job with Nick Wilde."

"NO! YOU CAN'T!" Judy screamed.

"Oh, yes I can." Dr. Barns looked at Nick. "And, I think I know a way to get rid of you, too."

Judy didn't understand what he meant, but she knew that it wasn't good, especially with the look that he gave her. He looked between the two of them and then nodded.

"Yes, that'll work," Dr. Barns said.

"You'll never get away with this!" Judy exclaimed.

Dr. Barns pointed the gun back to her throat. "Oh, but I already have."

Judy looked at Dr. Tales and he moaned loudly. He wasn't dead yet, but he would be within a matter of minutes. Dr. Barns would get in severe trouble when they were through. That is, if she could somehow beat him.

And then, right as Judy was getting used to the pain in her jaw, she felt a kick in her stomach. She fell backwards against the wall and blood—from the jaw wound—spilled out of her mouth. Judy watched as Dr. Barns turned around and escaped into the back room, doing who-knows-what.

Judy glanced at Dr. Tales—whose breathing was shortening. Despite her pain, she crawled over to the injured leopard and knelt down by his side. She was no doctor, but she knew how to give encouragement to other animals.

"Hey," she whispered. Dr. Tales looked up at her and sucked in a deep breath. Judy looked at his wound in his stomach. Blood oozed out and dripped down onto the floor. Judy accidently knelt in the blood and the warm, sticky substance stained her uniform. But Judy didn't care. A life was in danger.

"I'm here," she said. "It's going to be okay. I'm going to go get another doctor."

"N-no," he wheezed out. "You can't. D-Dr. Barns is g-gonna kill N-Nick if you g-go."

Judy looked deeply into Dr. Tales' eyes.

"But I can't let you die. I need to get you help."

"No, I won't let you. Save the one that you love, Officer. He's the one that needs major saving. I'm proud to have died for a good cause; to die for another life."

Judy watched at his breaths came even quicker and shorter.

"No!" Judy shouted. "No! Please, don't leave! Don't die!"

"Save that fox…" and those were the last words that Dr. Tales ever mumbled before his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Judy began to breathe hard as she mumbled, "No," over and over again. She couldn't believe that this doctor was dead and that he wouldn't let her go get help. She could've saved both of them! Judy balled her paws into fists. Dr. Barns was going to pay for this!

Judy ran one of her blood-stained paws down Dr. Tales' face and gently closed his stiff eyes. Then she looked away from the dead mammal. She couldn't stand this scene anymore.

When Judy looked up, she saw Dr. Barns in the protective suit while holding Nick. Judy jumped back from the sight. This wasn't going to be good.

"Ah, so I see you spent _your_ last moments with Dr. Tales' last moments. That doesn't seem like a good way to spend them, but it was your choice."

Judy gritted her teeth and glared at the badger.

"What are you going to do? Kill me?" she asked, venom filling her tone.

"Nooooooo. _He_ is," Dr. Barns growled, dropping Nick down to the ground. Judy winced as she heard something crunch inside of Nick, like a bone breaking.

"A-and how will he do that? He's almost…dead!" Judy spat out.

"Oh, like…THIS!"

Dr. Barns jumped forwards and kicked Judy in the stomach again, sending her flying backwards. Her back hit the wall before she slid down to the ground. Who would've known a badger had that much strength in him?

Judy winced and whimpered in pain as she heard a gunshot. She expected to feel a bullet burst through her skin, but she suddenly realized what was going on when she heard glass shatter. Dr. Barns had shot Nick's glass cell. He picked up a piece of the glass and made his way towards Judy. He looked down at her, proud of his work, before kneeling down by her side. He grabbed her arm and sliced the piece of glass against her skin. Judy screamed out in pain and yanked her arm away from him.

"You see, rabbit? I'm in control. And I can make whatever I want happen."

Judy looked up to see him walk back towards Nick and pick him up. She understood what he was going to do, and if Nick was going to die, then so should she.

"B-bring it on," Judy spoke, feebly. She went into a coughing fit and coughed so hard that blood sputtered from her mouth. She licked her lips and tasted warm blood filling her mouth.

"I'm sort of sorry that I have to do this," Dr. Barns said. "But, then again, I'm _not_ sorry."

Doctor Barns placed Nick by Judy's side and she gently stroked him. She stared at the dying fox, and for the first time, she felt no emotion. She and Nick were going to die. Together.

Dr. Barns pried Nick's mouth open—with his protective gloves on. He was about to place Nick's jaws over Judy's gash, but then he heard something burst through the door.

Judy looked up and saw Officer Hermit and a few EMT's. She had no idea how they got there—Officer Hermit most of all—but she was grateful that they came just in the nick of time. _(This is no time for puns, Judy. Get a hold of yourself.)_

Judy watched Officer Hermit run over and Taze Dr. Barns. He pinned the badger to the ground and knocked him out, quickly.

Nick fell down by Judy's side and thankfully didn't get any of his saliva in her wound. Judy managed to gather up energy and stroked him as Officer Hermit took down Dr. Barns and the EMT's looked at Dr. Tales' dead body.

Judy nearly passed out from the pain she was in, but she couldn't.

"Judy!" Hermit exclaimed, kneeling down by her side. "Are you okay? You look terrible!"

But Judy pointed at the container lying down by Dr. Tales' dead body. "I-it's the cure. Get it," she mumbled. The officer looked over to where she was pointing and nodded.

"Okay," he replied. He jumped up to his feet and darted over to the antidote. He scooped up the container in his paws and carefully took it over to Judy. He laid it in her paws and she took it.

"We have to give it to him," she coughed.

"Should he drink it or do we give him a shot with it?" the German Shepherd asked.

"We have no time! He could die any minute now! Just pour some in his mouth. But put on Dr. Barn's protective gloves just in case."

Officer Hermit pulled the gloves off of Dr. Barns and slipped them onto his own paws. Then he set Nick on his lap and opened up his mouth wide. He grabbed the container and poured a bit into his mouth.

"I don't know how much he needs. Hopefully this is enough. And hopefully it isn't too much," Officer Hermit said. Judy looked at Nick. He almost looked dead, but she saw his chest rise and fall. _Good, he's still breathing._

"He needs to swallow it," Judy spoke.

"I know. But I think he will soon. Maybe if I cover his nose, he'll have to breathe out of his mouth, but in order to do that, he has to swallow the medicine."

Judy nodded. "Try it. But if he doesn't swallow within 20 seconds, uncover his nose."

Hermit clamped his paw over Nick's nostrils and looked over at Judy, hopefully. He pressed harder on his nose so that Nick had no choice but to swallow. It was already slowly going down his throat since his head was titled backwards, but he needed to swallow _all_ of it.

"Look, he's swallowing it!" Hermit exclaimed, a smile on his face. Judy looked and the medicine in his mouth was all gone. He had swallowed it. Judy let out a sigh of relief and relaxed against the wall.

"I just pray that it can cure him in time," Judy said.

"It better," Hermit said. He crawled over and sat by Judy's side. "Let's get you cleaned up."

But she shook her head. "No, we have to stay with Nick."

"But you're injured. You can pass out and if you do, it won't matter if Nick's here or not because you'll be unconscious."

He had a point. And she was slowly losing consciousness. She did need something for her gash in her arm and for the bruises she had from Dr. Barns throwing her and kicking her everywhere. Come to think of it, _he_ was the savage one.

"Okay, but clean me up right here," Judy replied, stubbornly. "Go and get a doctor.  
Officer Hermit saluted and dashed out of the bloody room. Judy glanced around and realized that there was blood everywhere. Blood surrounded the cold, dead body of Dr. Tales. Blood dripped down onto the floor from Judy's gash and it was also on the wall. She must have touched it with her wound.

Judy petted Nick once more. It made her feel better and calmer. She prayed that the antidote healed him in time. She realized that she hadn't cried much since this whole incident. She stopped crying when she returned to the room minutes before this.

Judy's droopy ears perked forwards when she heard a whimper-like noise escape from Nick. Was he healing, or was he just whimpering because death was near?

"Shh," Judy shushed. "I'm right here, Nick. It's gonna be fine. I promise."

She heard a huff from him as he exhaled from his nose. Judy became hopeful, though she kept on telling herself not to be.

"You can get through this, partner. I _know_ you can," Judy said, managing a smile. "And I'll stand by you through it all."

Judy closed her eyes, just for a moment, and leaned back against the wall. She didn't mean to let it, but soon the darkness of sleep engulfed her into unconsciousness.

##############################################################################

When Judy opened her eyes, she was in the same room as she was before, but this time she was lying on a cot. She was feeling a lot better and she looked at her arm, wrapping with gauze. Her bruises on her back and stomach still ached, but they weren't as sore.

Judy looked over and found Nick lying on a cot next to hers. She didn't know how much time had passed, but Nick was looking better! He wasn't as sickly as earlier, though he did still look majorly feeble. But the fox was sleeping, not unconscious. The cure must have been working!

Then Judy looked at the ground and realized that Doctor Barns was still there. She didn't know why he wasn't taken away to prison yet, but Officer Hermit was probably too busy to take him. He was still knocked out, anyways.

"Good morning, sleepy head."

Judy glanced up and sat Officer Hermit sitting down by her cot.

"Morning?!" Judy exclaimed. "How long was I asleep?"

The bunny sat up quickly and looked around the room. "And why is _he_ still here?"

"Well, I didn't have time to take him away. But don't worry, I tranquilized him so he won't be up for a few hours," the dog replied. "And good news. Nick is recovering! That cure must have been an emergency cure, so it heals quickly."

Judy's face lit up in the brightest smile she smiled in days. She threw her arms around Officer Hermit and laughed, joyfully. Nick was gonna be alright!

"Thank you, Hermit! Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" Judy shouted over and over again. After nearly squeezing the life out of him, Judy let go with a confused face on.

"But…how did you know to find me?"

"Well, your walkie-talkie went off and you were saying some pretty severe things about Nick, like how you were asking if the doctor was going to kill you. And I heard you say Nick a few times, so I knew where you'd be."

Judy realized that she probably landed on her walkie-talkie when Dr. Barns kicked her around. Thank the Lord that she was still in her uniform. It was quite a bloody uniform, though.

"I'm just so glad! Nick would be dead if it weren't for you, Officer Hermit. I owe you _big_ time," Judy said.

"No." Hermit shook his head. "It's my job, Hopps. _Our_ job."

Judy grinned widely and threw her arms around Officer Hermit once more. "You will be honored greatly, Hermit. And I'll make sure that Chief sees to it."

They pulled apart and Judy turned to look at Nick. He had moved to his other side. He was definitely healing.

"Can he talk yet?"

"I don't know. I guess you could wake him up and ask, but it'd be cruel to disturb him," Hermit shrugged. Judy set a huge smirk on her face.

"Well, he's disturbed _me_ many times at the worst possible moments, so now it's _my_ turn."

Judy slipped off of her cot and walked over to Nick's side. She knelt down in front of his face and began to shake him.

"Mr. Wilde, get off of your fuzzy butt," Judy whispered. She shook him once more and she saw him move a bit. She could tell that he was waking up, but he chose to ignore her. Judy continued to shake him.

"Nicholas Piberius Wilde!" Judy exclaimed. "You will treat me with respect and open up those beautiful green eyes of yours and _look_ at me!"

Nick's eyes shot open quickly and he flinched backwards when he saw Judy in his face. Judy sat back and began to laugh.

"You poor, poor soul," Judy giggled. "Guess you didn't expect to see me in your face this morning, did you?"

Nick shook his head.

"Come on, Nick. Use words. I haven't heard that voice of yours in weeks," Judy commanded. But Nick cocked his head and looked at her. Then he shook his head.

"Oh, so you can't speak yet?"

Nick nodded.

Judy sighed. "Well, at least I can tease you all I want and you can't reply to me."

Nick narrowed his eyes and glared at her. Judy laughed.

"Nick, your facial expressions are so great! I wish that you could always be mute like this so that I can see your face like this all of the time!"

Judy continued to laugh and then looked over at Hermit.

"Come over here, Hermit. You _have_ to see this!"

Hermit shrugged with a smile on and walked over to Nick's cot. He knelt down by Judy's side and waved at Nick.

"Hey Nick. I'm glad that you're feeling better."

Nick set on his famous sly smile and glanced at Hermit. "Thanks bud. I'm glad too."

Judy's eyes lit up. His voice was a little crackly, but it was Nick's voice none-the-less.

"Oh my gosh, Nick!" Judy exclaimed. She jumped forwards and wrapped her arms around the fox, hugging him tightly. "You're back! You're here. And you won't _ever_ leave me again. You hear that?"

Nick nodded. Judy let out an irritated grunt.

"Use your words, Nick!"

She pulled away and saw the fox shake his head.

"Oh, so I see. You speak for Hermit, and not for me?"

Nick nodded. He looked at Judy's irritated face for a little longer before bursting out in a fit of laughter. Then he cleared his throat so he could talk.

"Carrots, you're just too cute." His voice still wasn't completely back, but Judy was happy hearing it. She hugged him again, tighter this time.

"I thought I lost you."

"Lost? Me? Come on Carrots. Old Nick here can't really die."

Judy pushed him away with a please smile on her face. "You sure know how to ruin an emotional moment, don't you?"

Nick nodded. "Don't you know it."

The two of them were having too much of a good time to notice the awakening Dr. Barns. The badger glared at the dog and the bunny sitting down by Nick's bed. He saw Officer Hermit's back to him. Maybe, just _maybe_ he could grab his gun and finish the job…

"So, which one of you cured me?" Nick's scratchy voice asked.

"That would be Hermit," Judy replied. "You have him to thank."

"It was nothing." Hermit shrugged. "I was just doing my j-"

Officer Hermit whirled around and found Dr. Barns holding his gun in his hand.

"Now, you two back of _very_ slowly so that I can finish my job!" the badger hissed. But Judy stood up and held her ground.

"No!" she growled. Dr. Barns let out an irritated growl.

"You know what? It's your choice. Nick can thank _you_ for this." He loaded the gun, aimed it at Nick, and shot it. Nick let out a yelp and Judy screamed. She turned to the badger with tears burning in her eyes.

"You see? My job is already done. Thanks to you, Judy."

Judy squeezed her fists and glared at Dr. Barns. He was so focused on her that he didn't pay any notice to the dog that yanked the gun out of his hand and tackle him down to the ground.

Judy turned to Nick and saw that blood was already soaking his sheets and shirt.

"Nick, don't you dare go. You have to stay with me. Please!" The tears fell out of her eyes, easily. Judy sat on Nick's cot and rested his head on her lap. "Don't die on me. I almost lost you once. I'm not gonna lose you twice!"

Nick looked up at the crying bunny. "Y-you're crying over me? How sweet."

"How can you think of jokes at a time like this?" Judy sobbed. "Is that all life is to you? Just some practical joke?"

"You know h-how I am, C-Carrots. _E-everything's_ a joke."

Judy let a sad smile take over her face.

"You know you l-love me," the fox coughed.

"Do I know that? Yes, yes I do," Judy replied, a few of her tears landing right next to Nick's head. "I _do_ love you."

Nick smiled. "I know."

Judy fondled Nick's head, the soft fur brushing against her paw pads. Nick set on his sly smile and looked up at Judy.

"Hey, I-I'm okay."

"I know you are," she whispered. "You sly fox."

"Dumb bunny."

Judy let out a laugh, despite her tears. "You see? It's all a joke."

"You started it."

"I did, didn't I?" she continued to cry as she petted his head. "Don't go."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Just then, Hermit ran over to them. "I tranquilized Doctor Barns again and I found some rope to tie him up with since I forgot my handcuffs."

Then he looked down at Nick with concern. "Come on, bud. We gotta get you cleaned up. You'll be okay. Just let me check out that wound."

Nick nodded. He licked his lips and swallowed to wet his parched throat. "Okay."

Hermit sat on the end of the cot and unbuttoned Nick's green Hawaiian shirt. He looked at the deep wound for a few moments before looking up at the fox with a small smile on his face.

"You're gonna be just fine, Nick. The bullet didn't go through any organs or anything. It was more to the side of your body. The only thing that it wounded is some flesh, pretty much."

"Oh, so are you a doctor now, too? How many degrees did you get in college?"

Hermit grinned. "My mom was a nurse. I know quite a bit about health stuff."

"I guess that's a good enough answer."

Hermit chuckled. "Come on. We gotta get you to the ER before you lose too much blood."

Hermit stood up and picked of Nick, bridal style. He turned to Judy.

"Come on, we have to go."

"No, I'll stay in here with Doctor Barns. Somebody needs to watch out for him."

The dog nodded. "Good girl," he winked. "I'll be back. In the meantime, call some more officers and have them take him away."

"I will," Judy replied. "Now go. And quickly!"

Hermit nodded and dashed away with Nick. Judy watched them all of the way out the door before grabbing her walkie-talkie.

"Clawhauser? It's Officer Hopps. I need some officers here at the Zootopia Central Hospital to take away a criminal. What? No, it's a long story…"

##############################################################################

Judy paced the hospital halls. Earlier that day, officers came and took Dr. Barns away. It was nearly midnight now. Nick had just been released from the ER hours ago, but he still wasn't allowed to have visitors until the tranquilizer medicine wore off of him.

"Hey."

Judy saw Hermit approach her with a bag of food in his hand.

"I got us some dinner. I figured that you'd be hungry."

"Thanks, Hermit. You're a good friend."

Hermit handed her a carrot salad as he grabbed himself a bean burrito. They both ate in silence in the hallway, enjoying their food.

"I think that he's good," Hermit said.

"I hope so…" Judy mumbled. "I can't believe I said those things. I didn't want them to slip out."

"What things?" Hermit cocked his head.

"That I loved him and stuff. I was just…so scared. I thought that he was dying and I had to tell him things before he 'died'," Judy sighed. Hermit grinned widely.

"Finally!" he exclaimed. "Oh, thank goodness!"

"What?" Judy asked, confused.

" _Everyone,_ I mean EVERYONE knew that you two had a thing for each other. Especially you," Hermit explained. "It was quite obvious."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Judy snorted, crossing her arms and eating her salad.

"Oh, sure," Hermit replied, sarcastically. "You even just said that you loved him. Don't even go _trying_ to deny it."

Judy rolled her eyes. "Why did I even say that?" she muttered. They continued to eat their dinner. Judy was really liking her salad.

"Where did you get these at?" she wondered.

"Just the cafeteria down the hall," Hermit replied.

"Well, this is good. Thanks."

"No problem."

After they finished their dinner, a nurse walked out of Nick's room. Judy and Hermit stood up quickly, waiting for the news.

"Well, he's awake," she said. "You can go and visit him for a bit, one at a time."

"Thanks," Judy smiled. Then she turned to the German Shepherd. "Hermit, you first."

"No, no," he refused. "Ladies first."

Judy smiled and waved at Hermit before she walked into the room. She was a little nervous to see him, especially if Nick brought up the things that she was saying to him earlier.

She found a little chair by his bed and sat in it. Her eyes met Nick's and he gave her a wink.

"What's up, Carrots?"

Judy scooted the chair closer to his bed.

"The sky is up," she snorted. "Oh, and the stars. I bet that they're beautiful tonight."

"I'm not one much for stars," Nick replied. "Oh, except for this one that you're looking at."

Judy giggled and lightly punched Nick in the arm. "Stop it," she smiled.

"Hey, I'm not wrong," he replied, smoothly. Judy shook her head and looked away. She glanced around the nice, bright room. But it was kinda of plain. The cream walls should have been a light blue. And the furniture. It looked too rough. It needed to be replaced with…

"Are you off in la-la land again, rabbit?"

Judy looked over and met Nick's eyes. "Huh? Oh, sorry. I was just looking at the room."

"It's not much of a view, but it'll do," Nick shrugged. "However, the one you're looking at is _quite_ a view, isn't it."

Judy giggled. "Come on, Nick. You can shut up."

"Me? Well, how dare you. I guess I'll just turn away and look at the plain walls while you can look at the view's back."

Judy rolled her eyes. "The poor fox. I guess I hurt his feelings. Again."

"When was the last time that you did that?"

Judy stopped. She couldn't say it, but that last time that she did was back in Bunnyburrow when he thought that she was never his friend.

"Carrots?"

"Hmm?"

"What was I…like? When I was, you know…"

Judy's eyes looked at the floor. She stared at her feet for a long time. How could she explain this to Nick? She didn't want to make it sound so bad, but it _was._

Finally, Judy looked up. She breathed in heavily.

"It was heartbreaking for me. Sometimes, I ran off since I couldn't bear to look at you in that state," Judy explained. "How did you know that you changed?"

"Carrots, I didn't lose my mind. Though I wasn't myself, when I changed, I _knew_ that I was changing," Nick replied, fiddling with his sheets in his paws.

"Oh."

"What else?"

"You…you liked to attack the glass a lot. One time you bit your tail and wounded it. Sometimes you acted like a new born pup. You'd chase your tail and roll around. All that kind of stuff.

"But other times, you really scared the heck out of me. Especially when you almost….When you almost…"

Judy shook her head and looked at the ground. She pushed back the tears that welled up in her eyes.

"Died?" Nick cut in.

"Yeah," she whispered, not looking up. "I, um…said somethings that I hope you don't remember. I kinda confessed somethings to you and I know that you'd tease me forever and ever if you remembered…"

"Carrots…"

"But…you're back. And I'm glad." Judy looked up. "That's all I'm gonna say."

"You're holding something back, Fluff. A lot of stuff. I need to know," Nick said.

"I-I'm not," Judy replied, standing up. She took in a deep breath. "Well, it's been nice talking to you, but I have to go. It's time for Hermit to see you and…"

"Judy…"

She looked up.

"Don't go. Please."

Judy looked into his beautiful emerald eyes for a few moments before looking away.

"I'm sorry, I can't."

Nick felt like he'd been struck in the chest. His heart pounded as he watched Judy walk away. Maybe he had pushed her too far, but he wanted the truth. At least there was always tomorrow to talk to her…if she ever came to visit him again.

##############################################################################

Nick's recovery was slow, but within 2 weeks, he was free to go. During those 2 weeks, Judy came to visit him often. But she never said anything more about him and his rabies.

When Nick was released, he decided to go see Alay first. It had been a while since he'd seen her and he never saw her ever since their breakup. She must have been heartbroken and Nick knew that she'd love to see him.

The fox approached her apartment and knocked on her door. He was nervous to see her. He was even afraid that she got a new boyfriend during that time, but she was pretty true to him.

Nick saw her face fill with emotions as she opened her door and saw him.

"N-Nick? Is that you?" Alay gasped. "But I thought you were-"

"Dead? Long story, sweetheart," Nick winked. "Can I…come in?"

"Oh, of course," Alay replied, stepping back. She let him into her apartment and told him to sit down in her living room. He did as he was told and she sat down next to him.

"Why are you here?" Alay asked.

"I came to see my girlfriend," Nick replied. But Alay looked at the floor.

"Nick…" she slowly looked up. "I need to tell you the truth."

"The truth? What do you mean? What truth? I'm confused…"

"Nick." The arctic vixen took Nick's paw. "Weren't you ever a _little_ suspicious about me? About who I was? Who I _truly_ am?"

Nick looked at Alay and narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Nick, the fox who you are looking at is not the fox you know," Alay sighed. "Well, wait. Actually you _do_ know her."

"What do you mean?" Nick was getting irritated.

"Nick, I need you to look _deep_ into my eyes—deeper than you have ever looked before—and tell me who you see."

Nick did as he was told. He cocked his head around as he looked at the arctic vixen. Those blue eyes…The pointed muzzle shape…that personality…

Nick's eyes suddenly opened up wide.

"Sis?"

 **MUAHAHAHA! YOU GET TO SUFFER WITH ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER!**

 **Ya'll are gonna LOVE this next chapter! I mean it! So stay tuned and REVIEW!**

 **BTW, sorry if there are typos…**


	27. Lies Unfolded

**A/N: THE CHAPTER THAT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR IS HERE! ENJOY!**

 **27**

 _Lies Unfolded_

Nick began to hyperventilate. Alay looked at her feet, ashamed. Nick didn't dare meet her eyes. Instead he blurted out, "I was kissing my sister that entire time?!"

The silence was so hard that it was almost as loud as elephants. Nick continued to breathe heavily, trying to take everything in. But it was hard. His sister had played him. She _knew_ that they were siblings and she fell in love with him anyways.

And then it dawned on Nick. Why he didn't recognize his sister. "But…you were dead!"

Alay finally looked up. "Is that so?"

Nick looked into his sister's crystal blue eyes. They looked just like his mother's; beautiful and bright. But why was her fur white?

"I don't recall your fur being white," Nick said after a moment of silence.

"I dyed it. It'd make me less recognizable," Alay responded, shortly.

Again Nick blurted out, "But you're my sister! I was in _love_ with my sister—who happened to be dead as I knew it—and you knew…you _knew_ that I was your brother. That's just…that's wrong! And you were DEAD!"

Alay let a whimper out of her snout. Nick stopped his words and looked at her, compassionately.

"Alay…"

"Don't call me that," she whispered. "That's not my name."

Nick laid his head in his paws. He stared at the ground, remembering everything about his little sister.

"Marcy," he said. The vixen looked up at him with lit eyes.

"Yes, that's my name. Marcy," she said, letting a little smile form her muzzle. "It's been a while since anyone has called me that. It's been 16 whole years since anybody has called me by my real name."

"16 years…Sis, you're 21 now."

Alay (Marcy) nodded. "Yeah, I am. And it was a terrible birthday."

"But why…how are you alive? We saw you die. There was a funeral and everything."

"Nick, I told you that I'm gonna have to tell you the truth about everything," Marcy said. "It was painful enough having to do these things, but it's gonna break my heart to tell you them."

"I don't understand what you mean," Nick spoke. "What's going on?"

Marcy looked up at him and sighed. "How about I get us both a cup of coffee and then I can explain everything."

Nick shrugged. "Okay."

Marcy stood up and walked into the kitchen. She quickly made two cups of coffee for Nick and her and put in the condiments that they both liked before sitting back down and handing Nick his cup.

"Well, are you ready?" Marcy asked.

"I-I don't know…" Nick replied. "Your words don't make any sense right now. Nothing is making any sense. Why you're alive, how you're my sister and you were dating me…"

"I'll start off with my death." Marcy sat up straight, took a sip of her coffee, and then swallowed so that she could begin. "Remember that man that Dad used to gamble with? He was an interesting man. I couldn't tell if I liked him or not."

Nick nodded. "Yeah, I do. Wasn't he a badger or something?"

"Yep," Marcy replied. "He never cheated, but I remember overhearing once that Dad did."

"Dad? Cheat? There is no way…"

"I was only 5 at the time and I could have heard wrong, but it had really upset that man. His name was- _is_ Mr. Rankles. And he was very angry that Dad had…well…hustled him."

Nick let a sly grin grow on his face. "So is that how I-"

"Nick, stay focused here," Marcy said. "And it was that same week that I 'died.' Mr. Rankles wanted revenge on Dad. And he did more than I thought he did. Later I learned that dad actually stole from him. When they gambled, he'd pickpocket him, cheat to get his money, he found the number to his debit card and he used it a lot."

"There is no way that-"

"I thought so too," Marcy cut him off. "But he did. He did all of that and made Mr. Rankles pretty much broke.

"Anyways, Mr. Rankles wanted revenge, so he captured me and faked my death. He was so cold hearted that he killed another fox cub and made it looked just like me. He even put my clothes on her and everything. Then he threw her out onto the streets where you'd find her, and that's how I died.

"Mr. Rankles then learned that Dad got arrested. Now that he couldn't hurt him, he wanted to do something more. Something else big. So he took me into his house and raised me, almost as if I were his own kit. He gave me a new name: Alay. He'd tell me stories every night, feed me good meals, and he even gave me good night hugs and kisses. I was too young to realize that he was actually using me for bad. And since I was so young, I became like him.

"And when I was seventeen, that's when Mr. Rankles used me. I looked way older than I was. Everyone thought that I was 21 then, but I made myself look older and I had my fur dyed white. Mr. Rankles forced me to do things like loiter in places. I don't know what the use was for that, until he made me do drugs around other mammals. He had me purposely unease others around me. It made me uncomfortable, but he said he'd pay me to do it. I don't know why he made me do it, but later I realized that he was just training me for things in the future.

"The officers of the ZPD arrested me for my 'evildoings' but I was proven innocent in court. They told me not to do such things again, but they had no right to arrest me since they had no proof of anything I was doing. They were probably just scared of me themselves.

"When I came back home to Mr. Rankles after I was proven innocent, Mr. Rankles told me to stop loitering and stuff. So I did. I laid low for a bit. But Mr. Rankles still had me do little things for him. Like, stealing. He made me steal for him."

"Ala-Marcy," Nick said, looking at his long lost sister. "Are you still under the control of this mammal?"

Marcy nodded, slowly. "Unfortunately."

"Where is he and what does he have to do with these lies?"

"I'm getting to that," Marcy responded. "Where was I? Oh yeah. So, I laid low for a while until one night, when I was about 19, he called me into his office. I came and wondered what he wanted.

"'Alay, do you remember your real father?' he asked.

'I guess. He was a fox like me. Why?' I wondered.

'He was a _bad_ man, Alay. He stole from me and cheated when we gambled. That fox did many bad things and he even cheated the guy at the bar. He found out the code to my debit card and used all of my money up. So to get revenge, I stole you.'

"I looked at him, wide eyed. 'Why would you do such a thing like that?' I asked.

'For revenge, my dear,' he replied. 'Besides, it's better that you live here with me. After his arrest, your family seemed to go downhill. Your brother left your mother alone and she's probably broke and starving on the streets.'"  
Nick gulped and glanced across the room. "I didn't want to leave her, Marcy. I just…couldn't stand it any longer. I told myself that I'd get a job and send her some money. But it never worked out like that. So I left for good. And I found Finnick. He let me into his van and we became best buds."

"You mean that good for nothing fennec fox?" Marcy chuckled. "The one who hated me and said I was too stuck up?"

"Yep, that's Finnick."

"Well, anyways, Mr. Rankles told me that he couldn't get revenge on my father anymore, so the only one he could get revenge on that was left was _you._ "

Marcy's eyes filled up with tears. "I never wanted to agree with him. I never wanted to help him, but he was gonna kill me if I didn't and still fulfill his plans."

"What was he gonna do?" Nick asked, resting his paw gently on her shoulder.

Tears welled up into Marcy's eyes. "He was gonna kill you," she said. "He was gonna slowly and painfully kill you by giving you a disease called rabies. He said that he needed my help and I didn't want him to kill me or you. I figured that if I could live, I could find a way to stop him.

"Well, Mr. Rankles did a lot of researching and finally found what caused the ancient disease. Once he did that, he gathered up the cause of it—which I'm not going to mention because I don't ever want you trying this if you want revenge—and then began on the antidote. Once he was for sure that it was working, he turned to me and explained that I needed to find him a volunteer to test the disease on.

"I found a good friend from Tundra town and explained to him everything. I knew that I could trust him and he nodded, saying that he'd do it. I told him that he could possibly die, but he said that he'd do it for me.

"And by the way, that good friend was Jaws."

"Marcy, I'm-"

"What? You're sorry?!" she suddenly snapped. "For what? What did you do? This was all of Dad's fault!"

Marcy started breaking down, crying. Nick didn't really know what to do. He finally started rubbing and patting her back, shushing her and asking her to go on.

Marcy sniffed and went on. "He gave the poison to Jaws. It took a few weeks for the rabies sign to start showing, and when that happened, Mr. Rankles told us the plan. We figured out which route that you took home and had a whole scene played out for you. That entire scene with Jaws and I with the money was just to start everything.

"And then Mr. Rankles gave the shocking news to me. He told me that _I'd_ have to be your girlfriend to keep you distracted from everything. I refused majorly, but he pointed a gun to my head and recording me saying that I would do as he said so that if I ever refused again, he'd replay the recording and remind me about last time.

"Since Mr. Rankles was the one who gave Jaws rabies, he decided that it was about time for his to disguise himself with a new title: Doctor Barns."

Nick's mouth dropped wide open. "W-WHAT?!"

Marcy rested her paw on his shoulder. "I know that it's a lot to take in, Nicky, but…"

"That name…" Nick mumbled. "That nickname. Sis, you used to call me that. I never let _anybody_ call me that…but why did I let you as Alay call me that?"

"Nick, maybe something deep down inside of you knew that I was your sister, but you never realized it or came to think of the possibility."

"I don't like where this is going," Nick whimpered, glaring at the ground. "Why? Why did you follow through? I thought that you'd protect me."

"I did try, Nick. And I wanted to…I thought that maybe I could, but when Jaws died, I got scared. Mr. Rankles—Dr. Barns—said that he'd cure Jaws when nobody was around—so that nobody would know that there was a cure—but he never did it! He just let him die! And I know that he did it purposely, too."

Marcy let some more tears fall. She sniffled and wiped her nose, wrapping her arms around herself.

"And…did Judy ever tell you about Gideon Gray?"

Nick nodded. "Yeah, she's mentioned him here and there."

"Well, Mr. Rankles is a _very_ bad man. I wasn't the only mammal that he forced to do bad things. He did that to many different animals and threatened to take their lives if they didn't follow through.

"Well, one of them was Gideon Gray. When we found out that you were going to Bunnyburrow—because for some reason, Mr. Rankles found out—we contacted Gideon Gray. Apparently Mr. Rankles knew that Judy knew him, so it wasn't coincidental that Judy was saved just in the nick of time. That was all set up, too. Gideon Gray was supposed to be there to save Judy and to make sure that you got taken away to the hospital. He refused to do it, but Rankles threatened to take his life, of course.

"And…that's about it. I thought that I lost you, Nicky. I really did. You don't know how surprised I was to see you here at my door. I was just…so scared, Nick. So scared. You are pretty much the only thing that I have left of my family. We just have each other, now. If you really did die…"

The tears came harder out of Marcy's eyes. Nick couldn't help but to cry himself. He grabbed Marcy and held her close to him, murmuring soft words to his sister.

"It's alright, sis. I'm here now and I will never leave you again. You won't ever have to worry about me," he whispered. "I mean, come on. I'm Nick Wilde. And you're…Marcy Wilde. Really? You're my sister?"

Marcy giggled and cried at the same time. "Well, I'll have you know that you are a dream boyfriend."

Nick hugged her tighter. "And you're a dream girlfriend. Though, you are a little sassy."

Marcy pushed Nick away.

"Nick Wilde!" she exclaimed. Nick laughed and tears dripped out of his eyes, mostly from crying earlier.

"Judy was wrong, you know," Marcy said.

"About what?"

"Before I told her the truth," Marcy explained. "She said that I didn't have a brother. But I do."

Nick's ears flattened. "Oh gosh, Judy. I almost forgot about her. She visited me in the hospital, but only briefly. I wonder how she is…"

"Go to her, Nick. She's probably waiting for you."

"I can't leave you right now. I need you and you need me," Nick responded, hugging his sister again. Marcy rested her head on her brother's shoulder.

"But still, my _sister?_ I still can't get over this…I think that you scarred me for life."

Marcy chuckled lightly, but then her face dropped again. "I feel terrible, knowing that I was behind this all."

"But I'm okay now. And Dr. Barns—er, Mr. Rankles—has been taken to prison. He can't hurt you or me anymore. He won't lay a paw on anyone else again."

Marcy sighed in relief. "That's good to here," she spoke. "You know, I really _do_ love you, Nick."

"Oh, I know so," Nick winked. "I love you too, little sister."

After a few minutes of silence, Marcy pulled away from Nick's embrace.

"We're free, Mr. Wilde. No more fake boyfriend girlfriend thing. We're just family," Marcy smiled. "And thanks for understanding."

Nick nodded. "I am still a little wounded, but you and I can heal these wounds together."

Marcy gave a little nod before looking at the ground. She had finally told him everything and she was safe now. Mr. Rankles would never hurt her ever again.

"You should go now, Nicky."

Nick looked into his sister's crystal blue eyes. "Are you sure, sis? I could stay a little longer. We could have dinner together and-"

"I'm positive." Marcy grabbed Nick's paw. "Go and take care of that sassy bunny of yours."

Nick bit his lip. " _My_ bunny?"

"Yes, _your_ bunny," Marcy winked. "Oh, and by the way, there is no job in Tundra Town."

"I figured that," Nick chuckled. He pulled Marcy off the couch and hugged her one last time.

"You take care, sissy. No more bad guy stuff."

"Don't worry, Wilde. I'm a big good girl. I can look after myself," she smiled. Then Marcy set a light kiss Nick's cheek. "Bye, bro. I'll see you soon, right?"

"Right…" Nick replied. His sly smile that was on his muzzle soon dropped and his eyes widened. "Oh no. Oh no, no, no!"

Nick thumped down onto the couch. Marcy looked at him, concerned greatly.

"Nick? What's wrong?" she wondered.

"Finnick!" Nick exclaimed. "About a month ago, I told him that I'd see him soon. And it's been so long! He's gonna _kill_ me! If Dr. Barns isn't the one who will, then it's gonna be Finnick."

Nick stood up. "I'll see you, but right now I have got to go!"

The fox dashed to the door and waved back at Marcy. "Bye! I'll see you soon, and I mean it."

##############################################################################

The fox had just hopped out of the taxi and strolled around in the Sahara Square. He remembered the good old days when he and Finnick used to hustle people (but just him, mostly.) Nick glanced around at the familiar area, trying to remember where the Fennec Fox usually parked his van.

"Aha," Nick grinned, spotting Finnick's vehicle. He walked up to the van and banged on it loudly, shouting, "Open up, buddy! It's me!"

The back door of the van was flung open and a baseball bat met Nick's head. Nick yelped and fell to the ground.

"So _now_ you decide to visit me? NOW?! After an entire month when you said that you'd visit me soon?!"

Nick gave a guilty chuckle and glanced up at Finnick, rubbing his head. "Is that how you treat an old friend?" There was another hit. Nick yelped once more and rubbed his head even harder. "Look, I've been busy and…"

Finnick raised the bat. "Tell the truth, Nick. You haven't just been 'busy.'"

Nick sighed. "You're right, I haven't. Look, it's a long story and I need to sit down and rest."

"Well, you're sitting down and resting right now," Finnick snorted. He crossed his arms and looked down at the bigger fox.

"Finnick," Nick growled in irritation. "Just let me in. I will be able to explain everything."

"Okay, okay," the fennec fox grunted. "But don't think that I'm still not sore. I'm still mad at you."

Nick set on his signature smile and followed Finnick into the van.

##############################################################################

After Nick's visit, the fox drove back to his apartment in a taxi. He stood on the side walk after he got dropped off and glanced at the sky. It was dark and cloudy. _Does Finnick cause these storms?_

Nick entered his apartment and entered the empty, still room. He switched the light switch on and glanced around in his place. He sniffed the air. There was no scent to it.

The rain began to pour down as Nick walked into his kitchen. He looked in his fridge and found some old lettuce. Moldy bread was in his pantry. There would be no dinner tonight.

Nick walked into his room. On his bed he found his phone lying right next to the carrot pen. Nick cocked his head, but there was no doubt that Judy was here. He picked up the pen and pressed the 'play' button. Judy's voice came up. The sentence was short and it left him confused.

 _"_ _It's you."_ That was all that the recording said. Nick didn't know what it meant, but Judy's voice sounded teary. She was definitely crying when she recorded this.

Nick sat down on his bed and unlocked his phone. He went to his messages and found plenty of messages from Finnick. Nick smirked and tapped away on his screen, shooting dirty jokes back at him. _Judy would KILL me if she read these,_ he thought.

Nick yawned and set down his phone. It was a long day and he was tired. Hopefully he'd be able to see Judy tomorrow and that she was in a good mood. Sometimes bunnies could get a little moody. _Moody Judy._ Nick curled up on his bed and closed his green eyes, drifting off into sleep.

 **Hey, this is one chapter without a cliffhanger! I hope that you're happy :P**

 **To Fox Of Knowledge: Thank you so much for all of you encouragement! I'm happy that you are liking my story and your reviews are always so awesome and long! Thank you so much!**

 **And other guests, know that ya'll are appreciated, too! :D**

 **Well, review please!**


	28. Truly and Deeply

**A/N: Here is the very last chapter of "Say Something I'm Giving Up on You." I hope that you've really enjoyed this and I've come a long way to make ya'll so happy! Please give me all the best reviews that you've got! Thank you so much for being awesome!**

 **Enjoy this very last chapter!**

 **28**

 _Truly and Deeply_

"…and that's about it." Nick shifted in his chair, trying not to make eye contact with Chief Bogo. "I heard that he was arrested. Is he really? Because I don't want him hurting anyone else again."

"Or you're scared that he'll come after you too," Chief Bogo spoke. Nick gave a little shrug.

"I am, but I also worry for my sister. She was forced to do many evil things for him and now that she's safe, I want to make sure that she stays safe."

Chief Bogo nodded. "Dr. Barns—er, Mr. Rankles—is safely imprisoned in the jail house. There's no need to worry anymore, Wilde. Everything is taken care of, thanks to Officer Hopps."

Nick let a small smile slip as Chief Bogo mentioned her. He still hadn't seen her. He needed to. She was probably in their office right now.

"Alright, Wilde. What else do you need?" Chief Bogo grunted, sitting back in his chair.

"Well, I wanted to know if it'd be possible to return to my job as a police officer. I never officially quit the job since I never started my new one, and…"

Bogo smiled—which really shocked Nick. "Don't worry, Officer Wilde. I knew that'd you'd come back. Zootopia needs more good officers like you and Hopps. Don't think, though, that'd I'd give your job back _that_ easily. I'll let you go easy just this once, but if something like this happens again…"

Nick grinned and winked. "Don't worry, Chief. I don't think that it will."

"You don't _think?_ " Chief Bogo snorted.

"Well, you never _do_ know the future and…"

"Wilde, zip it, leave my office, and get back to work."

Nick grinned wider at Bogo. He slipped off of his chair, winked and saluted at Chief Bogo, and then slipped out of the office.

Nick walked down the halls of the ZPD, waving at Clawhauser and some other officers that he knew. They all gave him smiles and slaps on the back, welcoming him back to the ZPD. Nick still couldn't believe that Bogo let him off THAT easily…He didn't know how valuable he was to his chief, either. _Hey, that's another thing I can tease him about._

Nick neared his office. He stood in front of the door and took in a deep breath. He was nervous and excited to see his partner. That cute little bunny that he… _what am I thinking?_ Nick shook the thoughts out of his head and opened up the door.

Judy turned her head around when she heard the door close and approaching footsteps. Her violet eyes met his emerald ones. She stood up and smiled at Nick.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey, Fluff. Whatchya been up to?"

Judy grinned wider and ran up to him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. She didn't say anything. Neither did he. Nick wrapped his own arms around her and held her against his chest.

"You're back," Judy whispered.

"Of course I did. My job in Tundra Town wasn't as good and…"

Judy pulled apart a bit so she could look into Nick's eyes. "Don't worry Nick. Alay told me everything."

"Marcy," Nick corrected. "Her name is Marcy."

"Oh." Judy nodded. "Okay. Pretty name."

"Pretty eyes."

Judy jumped back a bit. "What did you say? I mean, what did you…"

"My sister," he winked. "She has really pretty eyes. And her attitude…yeesh…"

Judy giggled, but stopped when she noticed the pain in his eyes.

"It's gonna be alright, Nick," she whispered. "I know that you're hurt and broken now, but I'll help you heal."

Judy's own words pained her. She said that she'd help him, but who'd help her? Surely Nick didn't know about her condition. And he couldn't know. Not now. And maybe not ever.

Nick stepped back and his ears automatically flattened. He gave Judy a smile, trying to hide his hurt, but Judy could even sense it without his ears being flattened. Judy took hold of his paw and squeezed it tightly.

"Nick, I'm not gonna lose you again. You need to open up."

Nick dropped his smile and looked at the ground. "I'm fine, Carrots. You won't lose me again. I'll be just fine. Just give me time."

"Nick…" Judy reached for his paw. "Don't you dare drift away from me. I need you."

Nick looked up from the floor and at Judy. She was on the bridge of tears and her ears were droopy and touching her back. The sight of her was so cute that Nick wanted to pick her up and hug her tightly before spinning her around and… _Stop it,_ he snapped to himself.

Nick was gonna say, "I need you too," but now wasn't the time. He was hurt by his sister's actions. No, not his sister's actions. By Rankles' actions. Instead he squeezed Judy's paw back and gave her a look. Judy looked back at him with the same, sad look.

"Nick, I will _always_ be here for you when you need me," Judy explained. "I'm your shoulder to cry on; your best friend. I'm your partner."

That was it. Nick bent down and hugged Judy once more, hugging her tightly. Judy was caught off guard, but she soon sunk into the huge embrace. She rubbed Nick's back as she buried her head into his shoulder, taking in the hug.

"I'm so sorry for everything, Judy," Nick whimpered. "I probably caused you so much pain while I was just being selfish and thinking that I was the only one who was hurt. But I ignored you and brushed past you so many times. And then I went savage and…"

"Shh," Judy shushed. "It's okay."

"It's not. You've probably been wanting to hear these words for a while. I just left you alone for so long. I ditched you for Alay and you were probably scared that her friendship with me would overgrow ours. And it did.

"I'm not surprised if you don't trust me anymore. The truth is, I wouldn't either. I messed up majorly, and if there is any way that I can make it up to you, let me know."

Judy pulled away from the hug, gently. "How about taking me to lunch?" she wondered. Nick looked at the bunny and gave her a real smile. "That sounds wonderful."

##############################################################################

Judy and Nick walked back from their lunch. They had cleared some things out, but Nick still seemed a bit distant. But Judy expected that. Time could only tell when he'd completely heal. Maybe he'd never fully heal, but Judy would wait as long as he needed to take.

They finished up work at the ZPD in a peaceful, understanding silence. Nick would often send a smile towards Judy's way, telling her that she hadn't lost him or never would again. Judy would return the smile, happy knowing that her fox was thinking about her.

That night, Judy walked home alone. The mid-summer breeze felt cool on her fur and she closed her eyes for a few moments to enjoy it. Sometimes it made her feel so free and alive. The breeze made her feel like she could do anything; be anything.

She entered her crummy apartment and plopped down on her bed, happily. She was feeling good for the first time in a while. Nick was okay, though he was still wounded. She knew that he'd return to his old self soon, though. And that was okay.

When sleep drifted over Judy that wonderful night, an unpleasant surprise overtook her mind. Nightmares. And this time, she couldn't wake up if she wanted to.

 _Nick and she were sitting in a park, watching a beautiful sunset. Nick turned to Judy and gave her a smile that made her feel strange. She instantly knew that something wasn't right._

 _"_ _Nick, what's wrong?" Judy asked. Nick shook his head and glanced at the sunset._

 _"_ _Nothing, Fluff. Just look at the sunset and everything is gonna be alright," Nick replied with. Judy didn't feel very comfortable, but she gazed back at it. The sun was sinking very low now. Judy reached for Nick's paw and grabbed hold of it. But something felt odd. Judy glanced at his paw and found blood on it. She looked up at him and saw a knife dug deep into his chest with his other paw clutching onto it. Judy tried to breathe, but she couldn't. She stared at the bloody, dead fox. She let out a scream and then…_

Judy woke up, screaming out loud. She barely noticed the big tears rolling down her cheeks. She began to sniffle and shiver as she thought back on her dream. Nick had committed suicide in her dream and Judy's eyes widened as a thought accord to her. All of her other nightmares had come true and Judy was too stubborn to tell Nick about it. What if this one was warning her too? Judy had to get to Nick as soon as possible!

##############################################################################

Nick woke up, nearly tangled in his sheets. He growled and cursed before getting out of the mess. He slipped on ahis uniform before heading for his kitchen. Once he was there, he grabbed some eggs out of the fridge—he had stocked up on food earlier—and heated up the pan on the stove. Once that was completely heated up, he cracked his eggs and let them cook on the pan.

Suddenly, there was some loud knocking on Nick's door. Nick cocked his head and walked towards the door, wondering who'd be up at 5:30 in the morning. He had only woken up because he had to leave for work in an hour.

Nick opened the door and found Judy standing on the other side, panting her head off. She looked up at Nick with big eyes.

"N-Nick. We need to talk," she whispered. Nick was surprised by Judy's sudden visit, but he knew that this must be important.

"Sure, Carrots. Come on in."

Nick stepped back and allowed Judy to walk inside. She hopped in, hastily, before sitting down at Nick's counter in one of his high chairs. Nick walked over to her, his tail swaying, and sat next to her.

"So, what's up, Carrots?" Nick asked.

"I had a nightmare," Judy replied, shortly.

"Aw, did you come to Nick here for comfort?" Nick smirked.

Judy shook her head. "Nick, these last few months, whenever I had nightmares, they came true. The first ones were when you went savage. I had those nightmares even before you got infected. I should've known that my mind was trying to tell me something. And the next one was a nightmare when some animal shot you and killed you. And Dr. Barns shot you after that."

Judy looked up at Nick with wet eyes. "And in this nightmare…you committed suicide."

Nick reached for Judy's paw and squeezed it.

"Carrots, I'd never do something like that," he assured her.

"Is that true? Because I thought that the others ones wouldn't happen, but they did," Judy sniffled.

"Tell me about it."

"Well, it was about you, obviously."

Nick nodded and smiled. "Yeah, of course."

"We were watching a sunset together…"

"Aw, how cute."

"Nick." Judy looked at him sternly and Nick knew that he should stop. "You gave me some weird look and told me to continue looking at the sunset. I was stupid enough to listen to you and when I turned around, I saw that you had stabbed yourself in the chest."

Judy was shaking now and tears threatened to fall out of her eyes. She tried hard to push them back.

"Judy…" Nick trailed off his words and grabbed Judy. He wrapped his arms around her and held the bunny close to him. "I will never leave you. Ever. You're my best friend; my partner. I don't think you could last a day without my help."

Judy caught that tease instantly.

"Oh, really? Because I did really well on my first few days at the ZPD. I caught Duke Weaselton."

"Who just happened to steal moldy onions."

"Argh!" Judy face palmed. "That's what everyone _thinks,_ but they were Night Howler bulbs."

Nick chuckled and held Judy even closer to him.

"You won't ever leave me?" Judy sniffed.

"Not ever. I'll always be here for you. If you ever need someone to talk to, know that I'm right here."

After a few more moments of their hug, Judy pulled apart and glanced at her feet. "I guess that I should walk back to my apartment now and get ready for work."

"Here, Carrots. I'll walk with you," Nick replied. Judy gave him a big smile and hopped off of her seat. Nick followed after her and grabbed her paw. Judy didn't object. Instead, she held it tighter and, together, the two of them walked back to Judy's apartment.

##############################################################################

After so much thought of it, Judy finally decided to buy herself a new and bigger apartment. She finally had enough money for it and for the months she had to pay monthly rent after that. She bought an open apartment just a few doors down from Nick's. They were both now living in the same apartment building and they didn't have to jog 7 minutes to each other's apartments again.

Nick was helping Judy unpack her stuff and he helped pay for some of Judy's new furniture. At first she refused to let him do that, but he insisted greatly that it was impossible for Judy to say no.

Nick was wearing his other favorite shirt: his dark blue Hawaiian shirt. He destroyed his green one in his rabies state, but luckily he knew where to buy another one. It would be sent to him in a few more days.

"Carrots, where should I put this little side table?" Nick asked.

"Did you set up my big sofa yet?" Judy wondered.

"Um…let me do that first."

"Here, I'll help."

The two of them picked up the big blue sofa and placed it where Judy wanted it. Then Nick grabbed the small, brown side table and put it next to the sofa.

"Let's see, what else?" Judy wondered. She glanced around the area and looked at everything. The high chairs were placed by the small island in her kitchen, the TV and sofas were good, her microwave was set nicely on the counter, she already had her bed, dresser, and nightstand in her room…all there was left was the coffee table.

"Here, let's get this," Judy said. They picked it up and set it a few feet in front of the blue sofa. Once that was done, Judy smiled.

"Hey, I think that we're done! High five!" Nick high-fived her grinned down at the cute bunny. Her big purple eyes, her dark eyelashes, her long, soft ears… _get a hold of yourself, Nick!_

Judy looked up at Nick. "What are you thinking, Nick?" she asked. "Is something bothering you."

"Eh, well…kinda…" Nick said.

"What is it?" Judy wondered. "Come on, you can tell me."

"Well, when I got home, I found the carrot pen on my bed. I pressed the play button and I heard your voice say, 'It's you.' I'm really confused by what it means," Nick explained. "What _does_ it mean?"

Judy smiled widely and looked deep into Nick's emerald eyes. "It means this."

Judy grabbed Nick's tie and yanked him down towards her before setting her lips on his with a beautiful kiss. Nick endured the kiss and deepened it.

Nick had kissed quite a few girls before. Some of them had been pretty good, others had been kinda bad. But Nick swore that this was by far the first kiss that mattered and countered; it was the best kiss that he ever had. And he meant that. Truly and deeply.

 **Ohmigosh, thank you all SOOOOO much for being so supportive of my fic! I finally finished it! And I hope that you loved it as much as I loved writing it for you!**

 **First off, let me tell you this. If I get 600 reviews, I will write a sequel! And I've got it ALL planned out. It's got tons of fluff and drama and all of that good stuff that you love!**

 **I really want to thank a few of my readers.**

 **AngloFalcon, thank you for everything! You are truly amazing and encouraging! I'm so glad that you have read my story.**

 **LilyTheNinjaGirl, you are just so awesome, girl! Thank you for all of your long, meaningful reviews!**

 **Fox of Knowledge, you are the best! You have such long and encouraging reviews that I get so excited when I see that you review! I couldn't wait to see what you had in store for me to read, and I hope that you continue to read some more of my fics in the future!**

 **Forevermylene, you are an awesome fan! You just popped up one day when I had about 17 chapters and you read them all within like, 2 days…right?**

 **For all of you guests…You are all so awesome! I just LOVE guest reviews and there really is no way to respond to them, but know that you're greatly appreciated!**

 **And for those who didn't have their names mentioned (because I have…what? 200 other followers?) Ya'll are GREATLY appreciated by me! Thank you so much for reading and favoring and reviewing my story! I hope to see you all review and favorite and follow my stories in the future!**

 **600 reviews= A SEQEUL!**

 **I AM A JUDYxNICK SHIPPER!**

 **THANK YOU! :D**


	29. MAJOR UPDATE

Hey guys!

So I am SOOOOOOOO soooooooo grateful for the support I got on this story! And I LOVED writing it for you! But I wrote this years ago when I was really young and I noticed some major plot holes and I know that I can make this a much more enjoyable story by changing some things. So I am going to start editing this story. :))

I will fix some plot holes and a lot of things ive got complaints on or confusion over.

I hope y'all wil be with me to support me again, haha :)

And maybeeeee doing This will get me in the mood to write the sequel again! Who knows? :D

 **ALSO MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT:**

Wildehoppsgal86, if you're reading this, THANK YOU. Thank you so much for your review. I LOVED it, even tho you bashed it XD I loved it a whole lot, and it's what inspired me to edit this story! I was so sad when I found out I couldn't contact you. If you have a real account, let me know!

okay thanks you guys! I love you so much, thank so for your support!

-LandraWolf


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